Building-site theft on rise

Computerized database of pawned merchandise could aid police

February 21, 2006

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - As the population booms in the Valley and the construction industry hammers away to meet housing needs, thieves have been making off with tools, trailers and materials left at building sites, adding to the cost of doing business and owning a home here.

Wednesday night, members of Mat-Su Home Builders listened as three law enforcement officers told them ways they can prevent thefts, vented about past incidents and planned to discuss new legislation that may help reduce the number of incidents in the area.

Among the most recent incidents police have noted in activity logs are the following:

€ Intruders forced open two trailers at a Hida Rose Drive construction site near Palmer and stole $2,200 worth of assorted construction equipment between 5:30 p.m. Feb. 3 and 7:30 a.m. Feb. 6;

€ On Feb. 7, someone reported that a thief entered a home under construction near Serendipity subdivision and took a jet tub valued at $1,700;

€ Someone stole $8,000 worth of hand tools, power tools, nail guns, a generator and cut-off saws from a construction site located in Country Wood subdivision at about midnight on Feb. 4.

Lt. Tom Remaley with the Palmer police told builders the easy things, such as putting a unique marking on company tools and waiting until garage doors are installed before having appliances delivered, help in prevention.

But one thing that would help both cops and builders is to have an after-hours contact number to call when something is amiss, Remaley said.

&#8220When an officer finds someone driving away with a load of plywood at 2 a.m. and says Joe the foreman said he could, we need a way to verify that,” Remaley said. &#8220It seems like an odd time to be hauling stuff away. And when the guy says he had to first work on his truck and then pick up the materials, we need to have someone to call and check his story.”

Another thing that would help is for builders to take their tools and trailers home, especially over weekends, said Curtis Vik, property crimes investigator with the Alaska State Troopers.

&#8220Usually all it takes is a pair of bolt cutters to open up the lock,” Vik said. &#8220But you can just hook up the trailer and take it home.”

One of the frustrations for investigators is that construction site thefts seem to leave the least amount of evidence behind, making it hard to nail the thieves, Vik said.

&#8220When you discover a theft at a site, call us before work starts for the day, or take photos, especially of footprints,” he said. &#8220Give us a list of items stolen. Pawnshops can't sell things they take in for 60 days, so go give them a list, too. We've been able to put together some cases like that.”

&#8220We had six trailers hit and one contractor kept serial number records,” he said. &#8220We did more investigation into all the items pawned and recovered most of the tools from all six sites.”

Vik told the group about a traffic stop that took place about a year ago in which the driver had some goods the officer was fairly sure were stolen. But there was no way to verify it, he said, no one to call at the time.

Vik and Trooper Jason Fizer drive to every pawnshop in the Valley once a week to get a written list of property taken in because no central log-in for pawnshops exists in the Valley or the state, they said.

&#8220It takes me two days to do all the pawnshops in the Valley,” Fizer said. &#8220And if they steal here and take the goods to Fairbanks, I have to call all the pawnshops there.

There are fewer stolen items pawned in Anchorage because each pawnshop sends to the Anchorage Police Department a CD with a list of all the pawns from the past week, according to Vik.

&#8220That one municipal law is a big deterrent,” he said. &#8220A law similar to that one could be adapted statewide.”

When a theft is reported, a cop should respond, according to all three officers. If someone doesn't come out, they said, call back and talk to the shift supervisor.

&#8220The site is now a crime scene and someone should come out,” Vik said.

In Palmer, depending on the magnitude of the theft, either the patrol officer will continue the investigation or turn it over to Detective Kelly Turney, Remaley said.

&#8220If it's a $100 screw gun, I'll probably have the officer finish it up,” he said. &#8220Anything more than that, I turn it over to the detective.

After a responding trooper takes the initial report, the investigation goes to Fizer and Vik, the only troopers investigating property crimes. Their territory extends north of Talkeetna and east past Glennallen, Fizer said.

Turney and the trooper investigators meet formally once a week to discuss property crimes, Turney said early this week.

&#8220But they are right across the hall and we see each other all the time,” he said. &#8220We have a great free flow of information.”

Thefts reported to Wasilla police will probably be handled by the responding officer, according to Chief Don Savage.

&#8220There are a lot of variables, though,” Savage said Monday. &#8220And we are in touch with the troopers by e-mail all the time.”

After a theft, it may seem to the victims that not much is happening, but investigations take time, Fizer said.

&#8220We are working for convictions, not just arrests,” he said.

Contractors who are victimized should stay in touch with the district attorney's office, Vik said.

&#8220Be aggressive at the bail hearings,” he said. &#8220Drugs are usually behind this. They need money in a quick, easy way.”

All the officers reminded the crowd that any private citizen has a right to defend their own property, but also has a responsibility to withdraw. So someone who discovers a theft in progress should call 911. Look carefully to get a description of the thieves and their vehicles, they said, saying that often the thieves are armed.

&#8220You're not dealing with rocket scientists, but you're not dealing with idiots, either,” Remaley said. &#8220This will only get worse, with an increase in drugs and an increase in population.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.