Homeowners and Businesses Can Fight Metal Thefts, Experts Say

Imagine coming home and finding you have no water pressure to bathe, cook or do dishes. Heading down to the basement to investigate, you find your water meter and copper piping has been ripped from the walls, and water is pouring onto the floor.

It happened last month to one Chicago Heights woman.

In the same timeframe, vacant buildings on Cove Drive and Edgewood were burglarized for their copper piping, police said. On Parkside, a homeowner returned home to discover his central air conditioning unit and tow dolly gone.

In Oak Forest last month, the Fitzsimmons Surgical Supplies company notified police that catalytic converters were stolen from three vans. In Homewood, gutters recently were ripped from a prominent local church.

Chicagoland Thefts Reflect National Trend

Nationally known metal theft expert Gary Bush, director of material theft prevention at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISR), said these and other Chicagoland metal thefts reflect a national trend.

"I can tell you in your area, it's not exclusive," Bush said. "It's pretty much everywhere, especially with the economy like it is, and commodities like they are, and millions of foreclosed homes. Even in the past eight, 10 weeks, scrap metal thefts have increased dramatically."

The economic impact of these thefts is serious, as the price tag to repair damaged cars, homes and businesses typically greatly exceeds the value of the stolen metal, said Bush, a former police sergeant in Marion County, Fla.

"They (thieves) may get a small amount—$50, $75 worth of cash for materials—but it may take two, three, four thousand dollars to repair," Bush said.

Protect Your Home, Business

There are many ways residents and business owners can protect valuable property, according to local law enforcement officers.

For example, savvy homeowners realize that “curb appeal” landscaping, such as hedges and tall plants, also can appeal to criminals, said Det. Sgt. Denise McGrath of the Homewood Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit. 

"Landscaping, what people like to keep up for privacy, these things also provide concealment for those who come to do theft or a burglary," McGrath said.

Motion detector lights for a garage, home or business remain a good investment, she said. Also, some area businesses now cage their air conditioning units, making them more difficult to steal.

If you notice something missing from your property, report it, even if it's a low-value item, McGrath recommended. This helps investigators build a more complete picture of local crime, she explained.

"It might be a small theft to that individual, but it might help us with a bigger case which might be a bigger theft."

Residents should not hesitate to call police if they see unusual activity, McGrath said.

"Be aware of what's going on in your neighborhood—not just yourself, but your neighbors. We'd rather come out and have it be nothing," she said.

Olympia Fields Det. Mark Akiyama also emphasized community awareness as a deterrent to metal theft crimes.

"As a resident, be aware of your surroundings," Akiyama said. "People that come up in the neighborhood with a junker truck loading up bikes, we can check it out and see if they're legitimate."

Homeowners and business owners should consider informing local law enforcement and request patrols if they're going to be absent from their properties, Akiyama added.

"Tell us, 'We're going to be out of town for a few weeks.' We'll do an extra patrol," he said.

Also, if someone is knocking on your door and you don't want to answer, call the police department, he recommended. "We depend a lot on residents to be vigilant and call. You can call us, we'll come check it out."

Documenting Property Is Essential

Bush recommends that homeowners and business owners and employees photograph valuables such as electronics, air conditioning units and lawn mowers. After you've photographed or even videotaped your items, also create a book to record a detailed description of the items, including make, model and serial numbers, Bush said.

Also, consider marking your appliance, air conditioning unit or even the catalytic converter on your vehicle using an engraving tool or spray paint, Bush said.

"This will make your material stand out in a sea of material," he said.

If your catalytic converter, air conditioning unit or rain gutters should be stolen, share your written and photographic records with local law enforcement and area scrap yard managers, improving the odds that your property will be recovered and the thief or thieves arrested, Bush said. 

Law enforcement officials, scrap yard owners and citizens also can register an alert about stolen items and upload pictures and videos with  ISR's national scrap theft alert system, Bush said. 

Larry Davis, of Chicago Heights-based Gaby Iron & Metal Company, said the scrap yard stands ready to assist residents and business owners.

"Typically when something is allegedly stolen, the owners call us and we can alert them to where it is," Davis said. "We do videotape everything that comes into the yard." 

Gaby's policy discouraging scrappers from bringing in certain items, he said.

"We don't buy ladders. Someone brings a ladder in—hey, that's not your ladder," Davis said. "We don't buy manhole covers. That doesn't belong to them. We have policies that discourage people from bringing in certain things."

If a homeowner or business owner is planning to sell scrap, it's better to bring it into the yard quickly, Davis said.

“We do a lot of industrial accounts. We encourage people, if their plant is not secure, let's pick up that dumpster in the afternoon so it's not sitting out all night,” he said.

As homeowners develop a strategy to stop metal theft, don't overlook the obvious, Bush said.

"To protect yourself, use common sense," he said. "Homeowners, construction companies must recognize the value of their materials. Generally speaking, a thief will go for something fast and easy."

Don't ignore the simplest precaution of all—locking your doors. According to area police records, in many recent crimes in the Southland, opportunistic metal thieves found home and business owners had left doors or windows unlocked.