For years now, copper wire and any big metal object — think church bells, memorial benches, sculptures, etc., have been the target of thieves who sell the stolen goods to metal recyclers.
The latest trend in the stolen currency, as evidenced by recent news reports, and letters to the editor, are tools. Tools that hard-working people use to build and fix things. The thieves aren’t interested in using the tools, of course, but in selling (or recycling) them. Consider just a few recent news reports.
In October, thieves took more than $15,000 worth of tools from the nearly three-year-old Northeast Seattle Tool Library. The library is exactly what it sounds like — a place for community members to go and borrow a tool, for free. After the break-in, the city and citizens donated money and tools to restore the library’s holdings.
Also in October, authorities say $5,000 worth of power tools and building materials for the Puget Sound Labor Agency Regional Access Mobility Program (RAMP) were stolen. The nonprofit program builds low-cost wheelchair ramps for disabled residents on limited incomes living in and around Western Washington. The agency still seeks donations to replace the stolen items.
In August, KIRO 7 reported on a rash of garage and shed break-ins in North Seattle, with tools and bikes targeted. Snohomish County authorities have long dealt with similar crimes. The increase in thefts of all kinds stem from heroin addicts, law enforcement reports. A letter to the editor on today’s page details one local family’s experience with theft of tools.
Anthony Mish, a Kirkland man known for his dazzling lights display at his infamous “Hawk House,” and a contractor by trade, recently reported that his new flatbed truck filled with over $10,000 worth of tools was stolen. KING 5 reported that “Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputies took a report but they say they receive dozens of similar reports each week and it’s unlikely they’ll find Mish’s items.”
Thieves are increasingly using online classified websites instead of pawn shops to sell stolen goods, according to law enforcement. And victims are increasingly tracking down their own stolen goods this way. Which is why it is important to write down serial numbers for all valuable items. Other suggestions include engraving your name on your tools and/or painting them brightly.
Other advice: Don’t leave any valuables in your vehicle and have lights on around your property, like motion sensor lights and outdoor porch lights.
Let’s help each other outwit the thieves, and those who also profit from their thievery by buying stolen goods.
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