3 days ago
Thieves targeting Chicago homes under construction for tools and copper wiring
Homes under construction in the Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago are at the center of a string of burglaries. Thieves are targeting copper wiring and tools.
Police said the thieves go through the back doors, kick open doors, or even walk in while workers are there. The burglaries all take place in the early evening hours, as workers typically are leaving for the day.
"Locations that are under construction are typically easy targets," former Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio said
With no cameras, lax security, and tools out in the open, Riccio said homes under construction are the perfect spot for thieves to target.
In the last two weeks, four houses in Logan Square were burglarized; the thieves collecting copper wire and power tools between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to police.
"They want to get in there as soon as the employees, as soon as the workers leave, because they want to beat the other thieves who are also probably going to target the same location," Riccio said.
What the burglars collect typically goes to places like scrap yards, pawn shops, and Facebook marketplace, according to Riccio.
"Some of these guys can make up to $1,000 a day in doing these thefts," Riccio said.
This week in Minneapolis, a team of thieves stole more than $1 million worth of copper wire from 450 city street lights, which left a neighborhood in the dark.
Just this past March in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, a masked thief went into a worker's van to steal tools. The van's owner spotted the thief and drop-kicked him, prompting the thief to drop the tools and run away.
On the city's Northwest Side, a Mayfair hardware store was hit multiple times last year. The thieves at one point loaded up expensive power tools in shopping carts.
"In order to really prevent it, you do need to have some sort of physical security there," Riccio said.
For homes under construction, Riccio said builders should use padlocks, flood lights, and security cameras. Those could help them in the long run if thieves come back again, which he said is more than likely.
"The thieves know they have to replace them. They have to put the copper piping back in. They have to put the electrical wiring back in. So, a lot of times, the same location can get hit multiple times," he said.
Police said, if anyone does encounter a thief at a home in the works, do not try to rationalize or confront them. Call 911 and try to get cameras installed.
