By Carole Hawkins, [email protected]
Members of the Clay Builders Council heard from detectives with the county’s Sheriff’s Office about the increase in thefts from construction sites.
Sixty-nine incidents of thefts of appliances, A/C units or copper wire from job sites were reported to the sheriff’s office from January to October, Hysler said, an uptick caused by the rise in homebuilding.
Duval County arrested three people in October for appliance thefts from homes under construction in Duval and Clay counties, and authorities now believe the team is connected to thefts in St. Johns and Nassau counties as well, Hysler said.
The team is believed to have stolen appliances during the morning hours of the workweek, while other tradesmen were at job sites.
“They just blended right in,” Hysler said.
Builders should contact the sheriff’s office if they wish a step-up in police patrols during certain periods of time when homes are vulnerable.
Builders have more exposure to appliance thefts the longer appliances sit in homes prior to occupancy. The detectives said they have seen appliances left in the home for as long as two weeks, never installed and still in their boxes.
“We would like to ask, where they’re sitting in the box, let’s take them out of there,” Hysler said. “Because that’s just making it easy for anybody.”
Another deterrent builders can use is to place surveillance signs on job sites.
The Northeast Florida Association of Builders provides Crime Stoppers signs for purchase at its main office.