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As the weather warms up, more and more people are turning to their air conditioner to help cool them down. But in many cases, recently, air conditioning is nowhere to be found. It turns out that one of the main materials used in air conditioning units is copper, which can be easily removed and sold to the junkyards. As a result, criminals are stealing air conditioners or breaking units, taking the copper and selling it for $ 50 to $ 100 each. There are cases of this type of theft all over the news.
In Florida, more than 6 small businesses in Lee County were vandalized for their air conditioning units. The thieves broke 18 to 24 units, took the copper coils, and scattered the rest of the parts elsewhere.
In Arizona, thieves stole an air conditioning system from a Mesa United Way organization that provides clothing and other necessities to foster children. The program’s executive director, Dan Wollam, would have had to cut programs if a local air conditioning service and repair company had not donated a $ 10,000 air conditioning unit.
In Texas, a Corpus Christi church lost two air conditioning units to theft this month. Like several homeowners in York, Pennsylvania. The costs of a replacement air conditioning unit typically exceed $ 1,000, although in some cases a completely new system is required, which is much more expensive. This adds up to another cost, of course: People who are victims of air conditioning theft have to endure the scorching summer heat. And in many cases it seems that the victim of the theft is an organization or company with its air conditioning units outside the structure.
So what steps can be taken to prevent this crime? In many cases, it is too easy for criminals to destroy an air conditioner for its copper parts. Because why else would they get involved in a crime with a bounty of only $ 50 to $ 100? By making it a bit more difficult for thieves, it should be possible to deter one from taking advantage of the location of your air conditioning unit. One solution is a motion detection sensor. Most robberies take place at night, when people sleep. If a light is shone on the perpetrator, they will likely do what anyone caught red-handed would do … run. A second solution is to purchase a wrought iron cage to protect the unit or to secure it with a padlock. Obviously, it is difficult to remove a cage or a lock, and any difficulty will make it less likely that a thief will take your air conditioning unit. Either of these measures may be worthwhile if there has been a series of robberies in your city. Remember. The cost of protecting your air conditioner is low. But the cost of replacing your air conditioner can exceed $ 1,000.
Another fact worth noting is that some law enforcement organizations are trying to better track CA copper thefts. In Norway, South Carolina, for example, the police department is giving away a spray paint that people can mark their air conditioning units with. The paint is invisible to the eye, but it can help officers identify stolen copper from air conditioning units. Hopefully, this tactic and others can begin to deter a crime that so often takes place at the expense of homeowners, local businesses, and struggling nonprofits.