Oct 7, 2008 2:45 pm US/Central
Police Target Copper Thieves In Lake Forest
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (STNG) ―
Police have stepped up efforts to catch copper thieves who have hit homes, churches and businesses at least 19 times in the past seven months in north suburban Lake Forest.
Police issued a bulletin Monday advising residents and business owners to report suspicious activity that may be related to thefts of copper downspouts and gutters.
Of the 19 incidents reported, the vast majority occurred at homes under construction, vacant or for sale and at businesses or churches, police said.
The thefts are taking place during different times of the day, according to the bulletin. Witnesses report suspicious activity from 7 to 9 a.m. and noises at night between 7 and 10 p.m. during the week. Police are not ruling out weekend occurrences. Since the thefts typically are not discovered for several days, it has been difficult to pinpoint a day or time, police said.
In several cases, the offenders appear to have removed the copper and hidden it in bushes for later pick up, but in some cases they are believed to have been taken away immediately.
The rash of copper thefts has also hit neighboring Lake Bluff and several communities in the area, police said.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2008. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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