|
Listed below or some
articles that were
related to Copper &
aluminum theft in a few
states. Understand
that this is a growing
trend and due to the
high price in Copper &
Aluminum we don't see it
stopping in the near
future..
Metal Moochers
Copper Theft Knows No
Market Limits -
TALLAHASSEE, Fla
Copper and Robbers-
Homeowners' Latest Worry
High Copper Prices Send
Thieves After Air
Conditioners and
Electrical Wiring
|
JUNE 9th
2009
THE DALLAS
MORNING NEWS
|
Dallas police- Three men
tried to steal $200K
worth of AC units from
atop a Dick's Sporting
Goods
Police arrested three
men yesterday morning
for allegedly stealing
nine air conditioning
units - worth at least
$200,000 - from the top
of a building housing a
Dick's Sporting Goods
along Dallas North
Parkway.
A witness from an
adjacent business called
in after hearing noise
from the roof.
The suspects, Gary
Tatum, 44, Jeffrey
Johnson, 42, and Dexter
Grant, 39, (pictured
left to right) weren't
present when the police
first arrived but were
taken into custody when
they returned to pick up
the stolen property,
police said.
Grant told police
officers that he was
feeling chest pains and
was checked out by
Dallas Fire-Rescue.
Jun 1, 2008 9:38 pm
US/Central
Dallas Church Left With
No A/C After Copper
Theft
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Members of a Faith
Memorial Church in
Dallas had to worship in
the heat after thieves
stole copper wiring out
of their air
conditioning unit.
The pastor of the east
Oak Cliff church moved
members into a smaller
chapel and brought in
fans for Sunday
services. He said many
people went home because
it was too hot.
Police say it's the
third time thieves have
struck. Saturday night
thieves stole a nearly
$3,000 air conditioning
unit from the side of
the building.
"It is very hard for me
to keep believing in
this area," said
Assistant Pastor Omar
Jahwar. "I say to
myself, 'Are we fighting
a losing battle?" This
is a tough call."
Three weeks ago thieves
stole the copper and
wires from the same a/c
unit. The church had
just replaced the unit
when the theft happened.
Last Sunday, a smaller
a/c unit and a video
camera were stolen from
the church.
A spokesperson for the
church said they do not
have money to replace
the units. But they
refuse to be thwarted by
thieves with no honor.
"That's what the people
want us to do is quit,
give up," said
maintenance supervisor
Darryl Luckey. "God is
not a quitter. He don't
quit on us, so we
shouldn't quit on Him."
FWPD
Working To Stop Growing
Copper Theft Trend
May 8, 2008 5:49 pm
US/Central
Fort Worth police say at
least three times a day
Fort Worth residents and
business owners are hit
by copper thieves.
Thursday police took
another step to stop the
crime trend.
Cheap wire cutters meant
easy entry into an
expensive supply of air
conditioning copper at
Hemphill Presbyterian
Church. The church was
the target of copper
thieves three-times in
one week.
Across town there was a
similar scenario. "They
took the whole unit and
I think they say they
got $33 for it," Andrea
Reed, the secretary at
Carter Metropolitan
Church. That church was
hit by copper thieves
twice in April.
"You know when I was
growing up you just
didn't mess with the
church," says Reed. "You
didn't steal from the
church, you didn't… they
just don't care anymore
and it's scary."
The problem stems from
the high price of copper
and thieves will go
great lengths to get it.
Officer Fowler, with the
Fort Worth Police
Department, says
criminals know, "It's
easier to go sell copper
wire than it is to pawn
a stereo, with a serial
number on it, at a pawn
shop."
Thursday morning Fort
Worth police, city code
enforcement officers and
agents from the Texas
Commission on
Environmental Quality,
inspected the first of
14 Fort Worth scrap
yards for violations.
Some of which were
revealed after an
undercover operation
conducted during the
past two weeks.
"They are letting the
stolen copper and
materials get through
their scales," says
Officer Fowler. "And
we're making sure,
absolutely sure, that
every ordinance, state
regulation is being
followed now, to the
'T'."
So far in 2008 Fort
Worth police have
responded to 385 copper
thefts, at which nearly
500 items were stolen.
In total the items were
worth more than $1
million.
Carter Metropolitan
Church spent nearly
$1,500 to replace its
stolen air conditioning
unit and add extra
security at the church.
"It's happening all over
the place. There's
nothing we can do about
it but try to protect
ourselves," Reed said.
The City of Fort Worth
hopes its concentrated
efforts will help stem
the problem.
Thieves
Again Hit Pleasant Grove
Church
A building burglarized
and hit by fire in the
past two years was
victimized again by
thieves, but although it
was reported on
Saturday, the theft
actually occurred a week
or two ago.
"We're almost afraid to
report this stuff that's
happening because they
say, 'How is this stuff
happening?' " admits
Pastor Jimmy Clark.
The most recent mishap
resulted in water
draining into what was
the sanctuary.
"See, they have to have
a machine or some kind
of pipe, cause they
couldn't cut that with a
hacksaw," Clark
explained as he allowed
CBS 11 cameras to tour
the building.
"It's somebody that's
got experience, that's
coming in and getting
this kind of copper,"
Clark said. "It had to
be somebody who knew
this part (of the
church) wasn't being
used, wouldn't nobody be
over hear so the
noise---nobody could
hear. "
According to a police
report, someone also
made off with half of an
air conditioning
compressor; a twin unit
was stolen months
earlier.
"They got all the copper
pipe; they left the
galvanized pipe, but
they tore all the copper
pipe where they could
get it loose, they just
took it and broke it
loose," Clark said.
"There's a lot of crazy
stuff going on."
The building once served
as the location for the
Pleasant Grove First
Baptist Church. Its
original worshippers
long since gone, it is
now the rented home of
Clark's All In The Word
Family Church.
In 2006, thieves took
part of the church's
air conditioner for the
copper.
In 2007, a
still-unsolved fire hit
the
104-year-old-sanctuary.
Since then, worship
services and mission
programs must take place
in support buildings.
When Bennie Shaw
discovered the break-in
Saturday morning, he
thought "a pipe had
busted or something."
"We're just holding on
by faith."
After Clark admitted the
$90,000 compressor theft
actually occurred more
than a week ago, he was
afraid to report the
theft until the
building's owner
returned from
out-of-town.
The congregation hadn't
moved back into
sanctuary after the
fire, so it won't affect
Sunday services.
|
