Two people police believe were connected to at least some of the crimes have been charged with vandalism, safecracking and theft.
“The suspects either stole the meters, and then damaged them to get to the money, or damaged meters where they stood in order to remove money,” said Cara Zinski-Neace, Dayton police spokesperson.
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The city has recovered about 46 parking meters that were damaged and stolen since Dec. 20, said Keith Steeber, Dayton’s city engineer.
Parking meters were vandalized and damaged all across downtown, including on Monument Avenue and Ludlow, West Fifth, East First, South Perry, East Second and Wilkinson streets.
Meters were destroyed and the coin canisters were missing, and a hammer and screwdriver were found at one location, Steeber said.
The city plans to replace all of the meters at a cost of about $860 each — which could cost about $39,560 for 46, he said. That does not include the cost of labor.
Coin meters usually are emptied weekly, and last year, the average collection for each meter was about $26, Steeber said.
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On Dec. 23, Dayton police officer Daniel Perry responded to a complaint about city of Dayton parking meters that were removed from their original locations, irreparably damaged and had their coins removed, according to an affidavit filed in Dayton Municipal Court.
Perry learned that four meters were removed from 101 W. Third St., near Dayton City Hall. The meters were found on an outside stairwell with their coin boxes removed.
Police say they were able to view video surveillance that captured the suspects.
On Christmas Eve, Dayton police officers were dispatched to West Fifth and Perry streets downtown on a report of damaged meters.
The next day, on Christmas morning, police on patrol downtown noticed a parking meter lying on the ground on South St. Clair Street, near East Fifth Street.
The meter was found in a small park, near where it was once anchored. Police also spotted another hole that looked like it was missing a meter.
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Hours later, Dayton police were called to the 200 block of North Main Street on a report of criminal damaging to parking meters.
On Dec. 25, two police officers located 42-year-old Arthur Grubb and 50-year-old Kenneth Powell at West Fifth and South Main streets. Police say they were dressed in the same clothes when they were caught on video.
Detectives say Powell admitted he was the man in the video, and Grubb admitted that he forced open the parking meters to help feed his crack-cocaine addiction, municipal court records show.
Powell and Grubb were charged with felony counts of vandalism of government property, safecracking and theft of more than $1,000 without consent.
Some city meters are damaged each year, whether by vandals or thieves, but there hasn’t been a wave of incidents like this in recent memory, city staff said.
The city has more than 1,200 meters, many of which accept credit cards, as well as coins.
The city took in more than $764,000 in parking meter revenue in 2018, city data show.
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