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Rash of thefts is seen
Published Thursday, September 11, 2008
NATCHEZ — When Tim McCann went to get in his truck Tuesday morning he noticed a few things missing — a few things worth approximately $2,600.
McCann had loaded a $2,000 Briggs and Stratton generator into the back of his truck Monday night in order to return it to the health department, but it was stolen during the night.
“I had it loaded up to take it back to storage and I backed my truck up into my carport,” McCann said. “They dropped the tail gate, cut the cord and took the generator.”
The generator weighed around 400 pounds, he said.
They also stole a socket set valued at $600, he said.
McCann is not worried about the monetary loss because his homeowners insurance will cover the cost, but he said the burglary was very unnerving.
“That night we were on pins and needles,” McCann said. “Every time you’d hear something outside you’d go outside and look.”
McCann’s neighbor, Brian Burgess, also had his generator stolen Tuesday night and suspects that the thieves plan on selling the stolen generators.
“Apparently they didn’t take it to carry to the house to use it, because what would they need three of four for,” Burgess said. “We just paid $800 for it and somebody’s going to get about $200 for it.”
Burgess and McCann were not the only people to have generator stolen after the hurricane. Stein Lumber Company has sold approximately 800 generators since Hurricane Gustav, and many people simply store them in an open carport, Adams County Sheriff Ronny Brown said.
“You leave it sitting under your carport or in the back of your truck and you’re just asking for it to get stolen,” Brown said. “Those things are hot right now.”
Brown was initially worried about copper theft, but thanks to a new Mississippi law that makes it more difficult to sell, that was not problem.
Instead, people have been stealing generators, which may cost up to $2,000 as in McCann’s case, and selling them for as little as $200 to $300.
“If a man comes by and offers to sell you a generator for $200 and you know it cost $800 (it’s most likely stolen),” Brown said.
And while the sheriff’s office is working to stop the theft, much of the responsibility lies with homeowners.
“Right now it’s just a rash of burglaries and the public needs to help us out a little,” Brown said. “You just have to protect your property. Don’t just lay it out by the carport for people to steal it.”
It is important for people to report suspicious activities to the neighborhood watch organizations and to the police, he said.
Natchez Police Sgt. Craig Godbold also said it is important to have identifying marks on a generator and to record the serial number. But it’s just as important to prevent a generator from being stolen.
“If you have one of the big generators with wheels on them, take the wheels off,” Godbold said. “Don’t make it easy for them to take.”
McCann said he has learned his lesson.
“There’s probably 50 percent of the people here in Natchez that don’t chain them up,” McCann said. “They just put them under their carports, plug them in and run electricity. But I know I won’t next time.”
Comments
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 1:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Put a few of them in the ground and it,ll stop.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 1:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That,s the only rule they follow or understand on the streets.
Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
At our house, there are loaded guns and three huge dogs waiting on an intruder. Yep ((oldschool) there will be a mama wailing over her baby when my dogs maul 'em to death for breaking into my house.
Posted by BeautifullyDefined (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OldSchool, lolololololololo u bout to murk somebody if they come in your yard!!!! I don't blame you, shoot em' out their shoes
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Acedog, I was wondering the same thing. Later, it says he bought it for $800 though it's also not clear if it was the property of the health department's. Maybe he was just storing it at the health department?
Posted by andy (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yes the sheriff is right we have to help by locking up our valuables and things like generators are a easy target for thieves. He is right someone knows and needs to call law enforcement when they know or hear something. this is a problem all over the country right now, and someone knows who is doing this or selling these generators. come on lets help the sheriff arrest someone for these crimes after all this is our country lets take it back
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yes the sheriff dept is right someone help them lets show these people that they cannot steal and we will not tell we have to start somewhere this is our property do not let a common thieve get away with stealing
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
of course we should lock up our stuff
but sometimes it's hard to do, the thieves are constantly patrolling looking for easy pickings
I've had stuff stolen that i had to leave out, just for one night, not everybody has an empty warehouse to put stuff in everytime
we've got to round these thieves up, also whoever they are depending on to make sales of stolen equipment to needs to be treated just like the thief, and locked up also,
keep an eye out for people running around with generators and trying to sell them, somebody is bound to notice some punks running around with this gear , turn them in and do the right thing
I'm sure the pawn shop owners and staff are on alert and wouldn't dare buy stolen merchandise
Posted by donna (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
thanks for the tip we leave our things outside in the carport and have just been luck after reading the paper i sent my husband to home hardware for a big chain i know this does not stop people from taking our generator but i guess it helps we also leave fishing rods and bait boxes worth lots of money in our boat i will have him work on that also if someone knows who is doing these crimes please call law enforcement officers and lets help them we are also going to join neighborhood watch group in our part of the county thanks for the tip natchez democrat and sheriff brown and officer godbold now guys arrest someone
Posted by olderthandirt (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's just a sad time that people feel the need to steal from hardworking, honest people. Remember when we had a county jail, city jail, Parchman? Now you see prisons all over. I liked the way things were when I grew up.Unlocked doors and people respected other people's property and space.I hope they catch these folks and prosecute them.They need to be off the streets.I feel if you commit a crime, you should do time.And that includes ANYBODY who has admitted guilt to any crime or those who have been caught.
Posted by MSviaTN (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Teach4Peace - they are talking about 2 different generators in this article - McCann's was $2000 that belonged to the health department and Burgess (his neighbor) was $800.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks, the way the article reads, it just goes into generator talk and the amount paid by the owner and him dropping one off at the health department.
Posted by donna (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
olderthandirt i am with you sir don't do the crime if you cannot do the time just doesn't work that way anymore police and sheriff deputies thank you for doing what you and catch these crooks
Posted by jack (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I BETTER NOT CATCH ONE STEALING MY STUFF I WILL LEAVE HIM WHERE HE PICKS IT UP PEOPLE, THE LAW CAN DO IT ALL FOR US, THE ARTICLE IS RIGHT ITS TIME WE START PROTECTING OUR THINGS LAW OFFICERS CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE AND IT IS PROBABLY ON ONE LAW OFFICER TO 1,000 PEOPLE WHICH MEANS ONE LAW OFFICER TO EVERY 50 BAD GUYS NOW THE ODDS ARE GOOD THAT IF YOU STEAL , YOU WILL NOT GET CAUGHT ITS NOT THE POLICE FAULT LETS DO A BETTER JOB AND HELP THE COPS
Posted by obamayamama (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Heat sensors are also available, they are easy to install. When they detect heat, a loud alarm sounds. Works great especially for under the carport.
Boobie traps, like on Indiana Jones, will be sure to do the job. But I bet if the theives can get away with a 400 lb generator, they can surely get away from a 2000 lb rolling boulder.
Posted by ladyrider (anonymous) on September 11, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why did Tim McCann have a generator at his house that belongs to the Health Department? Or did I misunderstand?
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