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Tool burglary hits close to home

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Contributed by: Joseph Kirchmer/YourHub.com on 7/8/2008

It's an issue that plagues many communities with a large number of homes and buildings under development - construction site theft.

The crime, which is common in a growing area like Douglas County, was highlighted over the Fourth of July weekend when several thousand dollars worth of construction tools were stolen from a wheelchair accessible home being built for disabled veteran Matt Keil.

Keil and his wife, Tracy, were devastated.

"It just makes you sick in your stomach that (this person) would do that," said Tracy Keil.

Fortunately, the community stepped in to help. The Home Depot in Parker donated $2,000 worth of tools to the Keils on July 7 and several residents offered up their own tools, as well. Tracy Keil said the support from the community has been overwhelming.

"People have been unbelievably supportive," she said. "It's amazing how many e-mails I've received."

Statistics indicate construction site thefts are on the rise in Douglas County. Crime analysts with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) reported 86 construction site thefts and burglaries to date in 2008, compared to only 65 thefts in the same time span in 2007.

Tools and copper are typically taken, according to analysts.

Deputy Cocha Heyden, DCSO spokesperson, said monitoring construction sites is a difficult task. Resources are stretched thin, leaving little time to patrol job sites.

Bigger construction companies often hire private security to patrol sites, and volunteers with DCSO's community safety program help keep an eye on developments. But smaller companies often can't afford to employ extra security and sheriff's volunteers can only act as "eyes and ears," she said.

Heyden said the burglaries are unfortunate, but stressed they can be avoided. Construction companies should always properly lock their tools overnight and keep a list of serial numbers for the tools, she said.

Stolen tools often turn up at nearby pawn shops.

"We need serial numbers so we can enter the items in as stolen," she said. "We solve a lot of cases that way."

Officials with the Parker Police Department also encouraged construction owners to properly light their job sites.

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