Apr. 1 – HIGHPOINT – Parishioners at the Springfield Friends Meeting have dealt with occasional petty crime at their place of worship over the years, but that hasn’t prepared them for what happened last winter.
Pastor Josh Brown showed up at the Quaker meetinghouse in late February to find that thieves had stolen two of the congregation’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and damaged two others when attempting to steal the machines.
“These were commercial-size units,” Brown told The High Point Enterprise.
What happened to the Springfield Friends meeting has become a regular crime lately, with thieves stealing HVAC units for copper, aluminum and other metals, or parts like compressors that can be resold. Reports of criminal incidents this year from the High Point Police Department indicate that HVAC thieves have also been making attacks outside of homes and businesses.
“It’s apparently a big nuisance for a lot of people,” Brown said.
Damage and replacement costs range from $25,000 to $30,000. Insurance will cover most of the loss, but the Springfield Friends Meeting has asked for donations to cover the $2,500 deductible, Brown said.
In addition, the church has borne the additional expense of securing an alternative heat source for winter services while the HVAC units are restored.
High Point Police say there appears to have been a slight increase in thefts from HVAC units in the first half of this year. In some cases it is difficult to determine when a theft has occurred in vacant apartments or commercial buildings as the owner may not have been on the property for a while.
The Springfield Friends Meeting has never seen a theft of this magnitude in the modern history of the 250-year-old community, Brown said. Despite the cost of repairing or replacing the units, investigators told Brown the value of the scrap metal found in the robberies would only be $200 to $300.
Police told Brown the thieves were likely able to steal the units in about half an hour.
The story goes on
HVAC thieves can be brazen, said Michael Eddinger, owner and operator of Eddinger Construction Inc. in Thomasville, which installs the machines. He said that more than a year ago, thieves stole a commercial HVAC unit from the roof of a Davidson County restaurant while legitimate work crews were going in and out of the building’s interior.
HVAC equipment thefts in the area have been around for years, but the pace of thefts appears to have increased recently, Eddinger said.
Scrap dealers shouldn’t buy from customers who don’t have proper identification or legitimate selling privileges, but thieves still find ways to collect their loot, Eddinger said.
An unwanted side effect of HVAC unit thefts is that thieves cut lines and dump freon on the floor, which can pose an environmental hazard, Eddinger said.
Steps that can be taken to deter HVAC unit theft include motion-activated lights and outdoor security cameras. At the Springfield Friends Meeting, the community is planning a security fence or cage around the backup units, Brown said.
“It’s almost impossible to quit completely, but you have to discourage them and make it a little bit less easy,” he said.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
