The economic recession has forced people into stealing uncommon items for profit.  Utah has seen many cases of retail, auto and even identity theft over the past several years, and those numbers are slowly on the rise due to desperation of criminals.  Home thieves are also rampant in Utah, stealing any conceivable item in a household that is worth something.  As if that weren't enough, home and business owners have another item on the list that no one would think to steal: air conditioning units.  Units are expensive, but thieves only get enough money out of one to buy the AC cover.

 

A company in Maryland started work one morning when they realized it was very hot in the office.  They checked the thermostat, and were alarmed to find that it read 88 degrees Fahrenheit.  After tinkering with the buttons, they decided to call a refrigeration company to find the problem.  When they went around the back to inspect the air conditioning units, they found dust in their place.  They reported the theft to the authorities, who soon released a public service announcement to Maryland residents that there were air conditioning unit thieves on the loose.  The string of thefts came as a surprise to most, knowing that stealing one is no easy task.

 

Small businesses are the primary targets of air conditioner theft, for the units are not under surveillance and have no covers, making them prime targets for thieves at night.  The main impetus for a thief to steal an AC unit is for the copper that lay within, selling for around $3 a pound.  A string of AC thefts covered the state of Maryland, approaching $100,000 in total losses.  AC units were not the only stolen items, for the thieves would take anything that had traces of copper within.  The economic recession has increased the price of copper slightly, making it a goo fence item for thieves.

 

Air conditioning unit thieves in Utah would probably get the same low price that the Maryland thieves got for selling the stolen goods.  Authorities estimate that the total profit from a stolen unit goes anywhere from $40-$60, a minuscule amount compared the purchase price of $10,000.  That amount is hardly enough to buy the cover for the unit.  Although businesses have insurance policies that cover these things, it still brings a deductible of several thousand dollars depending on the policy.  As for the business in Maryland, after all was said and done they still had to pay $3,000 for new AC units.

 

Authorities advise installing secure covers around AC units to prevent theft.The trend has even started to hit Utah, so businesses should be on alert.