LAUDERHILL, Fla. -- Police in Lauderhill and neighboring Lauderdale Lakes said there have been more than two dozen thefts of devices used to direct the flow of water from city pipes into apartment buildings.

A total of 28 backflow preventers have been stolen from apartment complexes during the past two weeks, including eight taken from various apartments in Lauderhill during the night Tuesday.

Without the devices, residents are left without water in their buildings. It also causes flooding around the pipe.

Police are unsure how the devices are being removed, but they do have a few ideas as to why.

"Two theories: One, they could be reselling the preventers for plumbing, maybe new construction or retrofitting, whatever projects they might be working on, but more than likely they're probably selling the metal because they're made of copper," said Lauderhill police Lt. Rick Rocco.

The cost to replace the backflow preventers is between $150 and $400.