AC units stolen from 4 Detroit businesses [[Livernois Ave.)

**Zacha341** · July-11-12, 09:31 PM

The thieves and scrappers are getting more emboldened. In this case they went from roof to roof, even over the razor wire....

From article:
'Helen Wright, who stayed in Detroit to try and make it a better place, has owned a print shop for 41 years on Livernois just south of Seven Mile. Her two rooftop air conditioning units were stripped, along with the beauty shop's units next door.

"You go home one night and you come back the next early morning and things happen like this," said Wright.'

...'Alan Mansour of the True Value Hardware didn't even have the units hooked up yet. The air conditioners cost him 20 thousand dollars, which is now down the drain.

"We're here to rebuild the city and make it look good and spend all this money and we have some people coming in -- just try to destroy it," said Mansour. "They're
destroying their own house, that's all they're doing, and that's why a lot of people don't want to stay in the city."'

...'"I may even consider leaving. I've been here all these years but, it's disgusting -- I'm too old for this," said Wright.'

See article and vid:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19...ts-stolen-from

**Johnnny5** · July-11-12, 09:56 PM

This is despicable! The guy invests 20K into a Detroit business and doesn't even get to flip the switch before his entire investment is stolen. Honestly, I would not blame someone one iota for shooting thieves caught stripping their home or business!

The City has always had the ability to drastically reduce illegal scrapping by targeting the end buyers, unfortunately they have done next to nothing. My only guess is that the fat brown paper bags are still being handed over from the scrapyard owners and nothing is going to change until the State completely takes over and finally ends the corruption.

**downtown_racine** · July-11-12, 10:15 PM

DPD to AC unit theft victim: You cant file a report, call back in an hour.
Call the "real police" honey.....

**Richard** · July-11-12, 11:06 PM

You have some bills in front of state now that should stop a lot of this.

Where I am at no more cash paid you receive a check in the mail,you have to prove where you and how collected the scrap,no burned copper etc.

If the scrap yard gets caught buying the stuff they face closure the same day.

The amount of theft dropped overnight.

**wolverine** · July-12-12, 12:08 AM

How many times do I have to say this, ban metal resale to the general public and remove the can deposit. You get nothing for redeeming any sort of metal. After you complete your home renovation and remove some older copper piping you get nothing, just toss it on the curb for garbage pickup.

The only people that will be allowed to benefit through the redemption of scrap metal are licensed contractors who will require permits to remove, transport, and resell materials. They will pay yearly renewal fees to continue these types of operations.

If you aren't in the construction industry, any reasonable person wouldn't waste their time taking metal to the scrapyard for a couple extra bucks, just as taking pop cans back to the store is a complete waste of time, energy and gas.

**p69rrh51** · July-12-12, 04:19 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

How many times do I have to say this, ban metal resale to the general public and remove the can deposit. You get nothing for redeeming any sort of metal. After you complete your home renovation and remove some older copper piping you get nothing, just toss it on the curb for garbage pickup.

The only people that will be allowed to benefit through the redemption of scrap metal are licensed contractors who will require permits to remove, transport, and resell materials. They will pay yearly renewal fees to continue these types of operations.

If you aren't in the construction industry, any reasonable person wouldn't waste their time taking metal to the scrapyard for a couple extra bucks, just as taking pop cans back to the store is a complete waste of time, energy and gas.

What is that going to do to help when metal values are quite high? Someone will always be there to purchase the scrap. Why not picket or help to put
those who purchase illegally obtained material out of business? With no buyers there is no reason to look for scrap. As for the can return law I am nowhere near a "green" and its a hassle most time but the state's highways and streets have been clear of cans since the law went into effect and just for that its worth it.

**Zacha341** · July-12-12, 06:36 AM

What's the endgame for these scrappers? Where do they live? So you scrap out these business, first the AC's, they close and get out of Detroit, and you finish off the buildings once their abandoned. A strip of once viable businesses now a gutted tract.

Then on to the next? What's the upside ultimately? Where do you take the cash you made for services and purchase at a point? I dunno... this thievery is very short-sited but that's not surprising... No wonder insurance rates are so high.

**Johnnny5** · July-12-12, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

How many times do I have to say this, ban metal resale to the general public and remove the can deposit. You get nothing for redeeming any sort of metal. After you complete your home renovation and remove some older copper piping you get nothing, just toss it on the curb for garbage pickup.

The only people that will be allowed to benefit through the redemption of scrap metal are licensed contractors who will require permits to remove, transport, and resell materials. They will pay yearly renewal fees to continue these types of operations.

If you aren't in the construction industry, any reasonable person wouldn't waste their time taking metal to the scrapyard for a couple extra bucks, just as taking pop cans back to the store is a complete waste of time, energy and gas.

There's no need to go to that extreme, and punish the many law abiding Metro Detroiters that make an extra dollar or two [[And some their entire income) by legally acquiring and selling scrap metal. I myself have made more than a few house payments over the years by selling scrap metals that I legally purchased.

At the scrap yard it's really easy to spot the trucks coming in with stolen materials, and the scrap yards know better than anyone when something is amiss, but most simply do not care. I would propose that all yards be required to have and pay for a rotating DPD officer on site during all business hours. Have those officers trained to recognize materials that are likely stolen, and they can initiate investigations into the sellers. It's the same folks doing this stuff over and over again and they would be very easy to catch.

**Hypestyles** · July-13-12, 12:48 PM

...I wonder who is bankrolling some of these scrapping operations? Don't some of them have some quite elaborate/sophisticated equipment, i.e., metal-cutting power saws, industrial-strength torches, etc.?

**Detroitnerd** · July-13-12, 01:20 PM

Another thing to do would be to legalize drugs. That way you don't have vulture crackheads staring at A/C units and drooling over what they're going to do that night.

**townonenorth** · July-13-12, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Another thing to do would be to legalize drugs. That way you don't have vulture crackheads staring at A/C units and drooling over what they're going to do that night.

Right. Then you'd have vulture "legalized" crackheads staring at A/C units and drooling over what they're going to do that night.

**Detroitnerd** · July-13-12, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by townonenorth

Right. Then you'd have vulture "legalized" crackheads staring at A/C units and drooling over what they're going to do that night.

That's the popular wisdom. But take a look at what has happened in Portugal. When soft drugs are legalized and hard-drug-users are arrested and given a choice of jail or treatment, you see drug use drop dramatically. But, heck, who cares if it actually works. Much better to just mouth off and figger things'd be just the same, right?

**Det_ard** · July-13-12, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

...I wonder who is bankrolling some of these scrapping operations? Don't some of them have some quite elaborate/sophisticated equipment, i.e., metal-cutting power saws, industrial-strength torches, etc.?

No so sure the thieves are obtaining their work tools the legal way. No bankrolling needed when you steal a contractor's work van.

**Det_ard** · July-13-12, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

That's the popular wisdom. But take a look at what has happened in Portugal. When soft drugs are legalized and hard-drug-users are arrested and given a choice of jail or treatment, you see drug use drop dramatically. But, heck, who cares if it actually works. Much better to just mouth off and figger things'd be just the same, right?

I'm totally for that. The additional harm from legalization will be much less than the benefit from the reduction in all the crime surrounding drug use and the drug trade. And I don't smoke anything but cigars.