Thursday, Jul. 03, 2008
Construction Site Thefts Increasing in Colleyville, Grapevine
By Larry Roquemore
Staff Writer
The bad guys — and gals — are out in force.
Doubt that, and glance at our weekly police blotters — everything from auto and home burglaries to vandalism of all types.
This summer, in part because of the depressed economy, police across North Texas are especially concerned about thefts from construction sites, including both new homes and businesses, where thieves are stealing everything from copper wiring and roofing shingles to building materials and expensive appliances.
Consider Colleyville and Grapevine. Those cities have been hit hard recently by such burglaries.
In Colleyville, here are the latest reports of thefts from facilities under construction: June 16, theft of copper tubing [$733.32] from a home in the 7200 block of Windswept Trail; May 24, a home in the 2400 block Glade Road, a stainless-steel Thermador oven with griddle [$11,304]; May 27, theft of copper [$2,000] from a building in the 700 block of Tappen Shire; and May 21, $14,500 in appliances from a home in the 100 block of Waterfall Court.
"Our detectives are looking at it from all angles now," said Colleyville police Officer Bill Hudgins. "We’re looking mainly at pickup trucks or enclosed vans. We have increased patrols and contacts with anyone at these job sites [after hours]."
Most cities have an ordinance concerning when construction can be done.
In Colleyville, for example, those dates and times are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. No construction is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, unless the contractor has a special permit, Hudgins said.
That’s why it is important that neighbors or passersby report anything suspicious to police by dialing 911.
"If it’s happening now," he said, "we want to know about it."
The same holds true in Grapevine.
Latest reports of burglaries to facilities under construction reveal a similar problem: June 9, a buried generator [$4,500] from a commercial site in the 1300 block of Municipal Way; June 12, four men arrested for burglarizing a construction trailer at Great Wolf Lodge; and April 29, lumber and roofing materials [$5,000] from a new home in the 2200 block of Cameron Crossing.
"They’re stealing everything from copper, appliances and roofing materials," Grapevine Sgt. Kim Smith said. "Because of the uncertainty of the weather here, a lot of construction sites are using locked, portable storage buildings. Nothing, however, is foolproof, even the locks."
She also urges citizens to get involved and report anything they see out of the ordinary at construction sites in Grapevine, especially on weekdays after 7 p.m.
So, where does a thief go to sell these costly items? That’s easy, if you know where to look, Smith said.
"These aren’t materials you could go to a pawnshop to sell," she said. "There has to be some market out there, maybe even another construction company. They wouldn’t steal it if they couldn’t resell it."
"It’s big business for a lot of reasons," said Southlake police Lt. Rhonda Moore, including material shortages and high prices for materials.
Colleyville’s Hudgins agrees, and said thieves find many opportunities to sell such materials, including flea markets.
Or, Hudgins said, thieves can store the material temporarily.
"Then you find somebody who’s building a house, and sell it to them at a discounted rate. The thief is making 100 percent profit, cash, off the merchandise, and the buyer is getting a deal."
Put a mini-GPS tracking device on all high-dollar appliances.
Fence commercial sites and lock the area,
enabling police and neighbors to see in.
Issue keys — only to trusted individuals —
and keep track of them.
Keep the area well lit.
Post signs with warnings to trespassers.
Install surveillance systems.
Keep all valuables out of sight and locked up.
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