Unauthorized access to copper wire and hardware within utility vaults and poles have been a growing problem for business and municipalities. To compound matters, these utility vaults and poles have removable covers, which can easily be detached with simple tools such as a screw driver or a wrench. Resulting vandalism and theft pose a direct safety issue to the public. Safety concerns are present whether an affected target is a shopping center parking lot light or municipal street lighting. The costs to repair and replace the infrastructure of these utilities are substantial.
As noted by the US Department of Energy in their report, “Fueled by economic growth, worldwide demand for copper has risen over the past several years. Supply has been unable to keep pace, pushing prices dramatically upward, particularly from 2003 through 2006 when the price per pound of copper rose from around $0.70 to as high as $4.00 by mid-2006 . . . . Tight supplies have led to an increase in copper recycling, which, in turn, has created a market for used copper and made the material a more attractive target for theft. In fact, thefts of copper wire have been on the rise across the United States, with no apparent geographic pattern and all sectors that use the material, including electric utilities, are being targeted.” (An Assessment of Copper Wire Thefts from Electric Utilities, US DOE, April 2007).
While some cover locks are currently being marketed, they fall short as effective theft deterrents because they are too cumbersome, too expensive, too easily defeated and/or require special tools. For example, in the case of cover locks that require special tools for removal, the tools are typically common to every such cover. Thus, if a thief obtains a single special tool he can easily open large numbers of supposedly protected access panels.
The present disclosure provides new and novel solutions to overcome problems inherent in the prior art. In one aspect a locking cover that includes a uniquely keyed lock for every cover while still being easy to install and/or remove is described herein.