North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Building tools stolen
Tools, building materials – even furniture – has been stolen from North Shore building sites and show homes.
While commercial gangs could be at work, builders need to do everything they can to deter the thefts, says Detective Sergeant Tony Bruce from the North Shore Criminal Investigation Branch.
Building items are often taken, although it is not as common as thefts from residential houses.
‘‘It’s known that the builders lose their tools. In odd jobs, show homes have been recently furnished and they’ve taken the furniture,’’ Bruce says.
The thieves target areas like Long Bay, where there are numerous construction sites and not many permanent residents, and thieves can sneak in undetected, he says.
The Albany Community Hub, which is being built on Albany Domain, was the site of one theft.
Commercial-grade scaffolding that had been chained to the building’s framing was stolen in January, Bruce says.
Christine Glover, the community co-ordinator from neighbouring Albany House, says she is not pleased with the theft.
‘‘I was gutted to hear that it happened in this neighbourhood,’’ Glover says.
‘‘This is a community space for the community.’’
While the hub builders, Cassidy Construction, have since put up a fence to deter thefts, Glover wants people to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour in the domain.
But Bruce, a former builder, admits it is hard to pick out suspicious behaviour from normal construction work, which can include everything from deliveries to visits from potential buyers.
‘‘There’s going to be a multitude of people coming and going,’’ he says. ‘‘People can work all hours to get it done.’’
Bruce encourages builders to remove their tools from site every day and make any potential theft as hard as possible by using locks and fences.
‘‘Being a former builder, I never left my gear on site, never.’’
The thefts could be done by commercial gangs stealing to order or even rival builders.
‘‘They turn up with the gear that they need, such as bolt cutters and a van to take it all away,’’ he says.
Builders also need to mark their tools and materials, and note serial numbers, so police can identify items if stolen.
School principal Glen Vinton says the evacuation started at about 5am.
The pupils were taken by a local farmer using a tractor and trailer and were in good spirits, Vinton says.
‘‘It has been an amazing adventure and they are just wild with all the excitement.
‘‘To them, this is an absolute adventure, to be taken in the dark in the trailer on a tractor to a local school. I would say they would have been made a fuss over.’’
Vinton says the school has been going to Camp Adair for at least 14 years but there has never been flooding like this.
‘‘Yes, the stream at the back of the camp does rise; however, I’ve never known it to get to the point where we’ve had to evacuate.’’
The school was well organised and able to call every parent, Vinton says.
At edition time yesterday, she was not sure how the pupils would spend the rest of their camp week.