Thieves taking electrical tools and appliances

Richmond police are encouraging contractors to remove electrical tools from unsecured buildings under construction after a spate of thefts.

Thieves have been targeting homes being built in the area, and unoccupied new homes.

Senior Sergeant John Price of Richmond police said police had noticed two patterns of property thefts in the region during the past six weeks.

Mr Price said household electrical entertainment items or electrical tools were being stolen from unoccupied new homes, show homes and homes being built.

Two 50-inch plasma television screens were reported stolen from show homes in Richmond last week.

Mr Price said power tools seemed to be the main item being taken.

He said that as well as taking tools away from properties when contractors were not working there, engraving also helped deter offenders.

Mr Price said police were also concerned by the amount of property and fuel being stolen from rural properties, and urged land owners to secure items of value.

Fuel tanks should have locks and valuable items should be engraved for security purposes, he said.

Mr Price said police thought it was likely two groups of people were responsible for the different clusters of thefts.

Senior Constable Phil Wylie of Nelson police said thefts of tools in the Nelson area had also picked up during the past six weeks or so.

Mr Wylie said tools had been reported stolen from work vans, garages and properties.

"It's just one type of commodity that seems to be quite warm at the moment; we don't know why.

"We are not talking huge huge numbers. It is just that it is more noticeable."

Mr Price encouraged people who saw any suspicious activity to contact the police and where possible record details such as car registration and descriptions of cars and their occupants.

It was important that people contacted police at the time they saw suspicious activity, he said.

G J Gardner show homes general manager Graham Vercoe said several show homes from different companies had been broken into.

Mr Vercoe said he thought the burglaries were a "sign of the times".

Show homes had alarms and were secured but that didn't seem to be stopping people, he said.

"You put your heart and soul into those houses, but someone comes and wrecks the inside."

- © Fairfax NZ News