Workers at a semi truck repair business in Kansas City said thieves have caused more than $100,ooo in damage by stealing copper wire and tools. Jeremy Swenson, a foreman at Jim Hawk Truck Trailers, said they’re worried they’ll find more damage each morning when they come in to work. The semi truck trailer repair business is off Front Street and Interstate 435 in Kansas City. Since last winter, Swenson said they’ve suffered through multiple thefts resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and stolen tools. As recently as Friday morning, Jim Hawk Truck Trailers had people trespassing and stealing copper wire. “Last night we had like 12 trailers, that I know of, got hit and a $100,000 truck,” Swenson said. “It’s brand new, never been on the road. All the wires were chopped out of it.” Swenson has set up cameras in the woods and has pictures of the thieves.Thursday afternoon, his camera got a picture of a shirtless man leaving the property with what appears to be copper wire in his hand. Swenson said the man trespassed just after workers had left for the day.”We close at 5,” he said. “It’s like they’re watching us.”Later that same night, Swenson’s camera got pictures of two other people trespassing onto the property. One had a backpack on. From the pictures, Swenson has found where the thieves enter the property. Some come from a nearby railroad and walk through the woods, and others enter through holes cut into the fence around the property. Swenson has filed multiple police reports over the different incidents. He said officers have told him they suspect the thieves are coming from a nearby homeless camp. “They say it’s an ongoing problem with the homeless,” Swenson said. Ultimately, Swenson said these thieves will only get a few dollars per pound of copper wire they work hours to steal from his trucks. “Some of these guys I’d like to hire,” he said. “They put in a lot of work for $15.” Swenson said they’re looking into getting an electric fence and hiring an off-duty police officer for security. A spokesperson for KCPD said property crime detectives are working to develop a person of interest.
Workers at a semi truck repair business in Kansas City said thieves have caused more than $100,ooo in damage by stealing copper wire and tools.
Jeremy Swenson, a foreman at Jim Hawk Truck Trailers, said they’re worried they’ll find more damage each morning when they come in to work.
The semi truck trailer repair business is off Front Street and Interstate 435 in Kansas City.
Since last winter, Swenson said they’ve suffered through multiple thefts resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and stolen tools.
As recently as Friday morning, Jim Hawk Truck Trailers had people trespassing and stealing copper wire.
“Last night we had like 12 trailers, that I know of, got hit and a $100,000 truck,” Swenson said. “It’s brand new, never been on the road. All the wires were chopped out of it.”
Swenson has set up cameras in the woods and has pictures of the thieves.
Thursday afternoon, his camera got a picture of a shirtless man leaving the property with what appears to be copper wire in his hand. Swenson said the man trespassed just after workers had left for the day.
“We close at 5,” he said. “It’s like they’re watching us.”
Later that same night, Swenson’s camera got pictures of two other people trespassing onto the property. One had a backpack on.
From the pictures, Swenson has found where the thieves enter the property. Some come from a nearby railroad and walk through the woods, and others enter through holes cut into the fence around the property.
Swenson has filed multiple police reports over the different incidents. He said officers have told him they suspect the thieves are coming from a nearby homeless camp.
“They say it’s an ongoing problem with the homeless,” Swenson said.
Ultimately, Swenson said these thieves will only get a few dollars per pound of copper wire they work hours to steal from his trucks.
“Some of these guys I’d like to hire,” he said. “They put in a lot of work for $15.”
Swenson said they’re looking into getting an electric fence and hiring an off-duty police officer for security.
A spokesperson for KCPD said property crime detectives are working to develop a person of interest.