ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- The Rockford Police are trying to figure out who is stealing manhole covers in the city.

Police say over 60 covers have been stolen since the end of April. Whoever is stealing the covers could be melting-down the covers for their iron. Each cover costs up to two hundred dollars to replace and nets about eight dollars worth of scrap metal when melted down. The 60 stolen covers are worth less than five hundred dollars in scrap.

So far the city has spent five thousand dollars replacing manhole covers.

Rockford Police say they're baffled as to why anyone would steal the manhole covers with such a low return rate.