Jun 12, 2007 4:23 pm US/Central
Copper Thieves Repeatedly Hit Dallas Ministry
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
A local ministry has been the victim of theft four different times over the past two months.
The thieves are breaking into the World Impact Dallas Ministry Center, a non-profit ministry located in south Dallas, and stripping the copper wiring from the rooftop air conditioning units.
"What they have done here," explained contractor Rafeal Chac, "they have vandalized these to sell it for $50 or $60."
In the middle of the night, thieves are jumping over the building's fence and stealing any copper wiring that can be sold off for scrap metal. Minister Coordinator Braden Clark said, "Anything that can be sold for scrap metal has been taken. They have stole anything that is not chained down and walked away."
On Tuesday afternoon, workers again repaired the air conditioning units on the building's roof. Ministry administrators said that the thieves have cost the center at least $50,000 in damage. The center's fence has now been replaced three times.
To make matters even more discouraging, the Dallas Police Department is located just eight blocks away.
World Impact Dallas Ministry Center wants police to step up their patrol in the area, but police have said that they do not have enough manpower to patrol the area between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., when most of the crimes took place.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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