Stolen toilet parts confound police

EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Taxpayer money is going down the drain in the southtowns. Police need your help in clamping down on thieves stealing flush valves from public restrooms.

Over the past three weeks, around 50 flush valves have been stolen from public bathrooms in Hamlin Park and Emery Park in East Aurora, as well as Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park.

East Aurora Police Detective Rick Daminski said, "I think they're taking them for scrap. They are an older flush valve that can't be resold. It's aggravating; it's just wrong and we're going to catch them."

Police say the thief or thieves are desperate.

"The flush valves are just such an odd piece that I can't believe nobody has notified us yet," said Det. Daminski.

But not only that, police say they know what they're doing.

He added, "Most of them were taken out professionally, without any damage, breaking porcelain."

And police believe the stolen flush valves are feeding a habit.

Just before News 4 went to speak to police on Monday, they responded to a copper wire theft and say that the flush valve thefts and wire theft are likely related.

"They took out about maybe 25 feet of high voltage copper wire and the wire was on. It was hot and if they would have done it the wrong way, probably would have caught them. But I don't think they'd be here to talk," Det. Daminski said.

The replacement of flush valves has cost East Aurora around $5,000. Officials say the person responsible probably only got a couple hundred bucks for the valves at a scrap yard.

Anyone with information is asked to call East Aurora Police at 652-1111.