Sheriff Coffey wants community to help cool down thefts of air conditioners and metals
It is a problem occurring across the nation, in our state and in our backyard, literally. Thefts of air conditioners and metals are becoming hot items for cold cash at scrap dealers and Sheriff Rex W. Coffey says he wants residents to be aware, take precautions and report suspicious activity immediately.
“In Charles County, we have zero tolerance for crime. Even though most of these thefts are occurring at vacant homes it doesn’t mean that it’s any less of a crime. Someone still has to pay for it, whether it’s the homeowner or insurance companies. We want to make sure residents know what to look for and understand how these thieves operate so that we can put a stop to it. Our officers make plenty of arrests but we can’t be everywhere all the time so we’re counting on our communities – who are already very good to us – to help us out,” said Sheriff Coffey.
Detectives say the suspects usually target vacant homes. “They don’t want to get caught. Many of them are addicted to drugs and so they don’t want to go to jail,” Sheriff Coffey said. In a few cases, suspects have targeted homes which are occupied.
Here’s how they usually operate: Typically, the suspects walk up to the front door of a house and knock. If they get an answer they give an excuse as to why they are there. They may say they are looking for someone, or their dog ran behind the house, or they need directions. Whatever they say, it’s not the truth. They really want to see if someone is home. If they don’t get an answer, they go to the back of the house and steal the a/c unit or break in and steal indoor metal piping or other property.
Sheriff Coffey says the best advice he can give applies to everyone, no matter where they live. “Be a nosy neighbor. If you see something that just doesn’t look right, say something and call the police. In some cases, we respond only to find out the person had legitimate reasons for being there. And that’s ok. Those folks always tell us that they were glad someone was watching out for their property,” said Sheriff Coffey.
Still, in other instances, we’ve responded and we’ve actually caught the thieves red-handed,” said Sheriff Coffey. Recently, officers responded to a call for suspicious activity in La Plata. A man and a woman knocked on the front door of a house. They asked for someone but left after the resident said there was no one there by that name. Thinking something was strange, the resident wrote down the tag number of the couple’s car and then walked around his property. He noticed his air conditioner had been cut from the original spot and was moved near the carport where the suspects were getting ready to steal it. Detectives quickly identified the
