Appliance Burglaries From Residential Construction Sites (From Solving Crime and Disorder Problems: Current Issues, Police Strategies, and Organizational Tactics, P 89-112, 2001, Melissa Reuland, Corina Sole' Brito, and Lisa Carroll, eds. -- See NCJ-225227)

• NCJ Number: 225233
• Author(s): Dan Cunius; Eric Rost; Chuck Johnson
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 24 pages
• Sale Source: Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter discusses a solution offered by police personnel to Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s problem of appliance burglaries from residential construction sites.

Abstract

Around 1990, the pace of development in northern Mecklenburg County accelerated with the primary growth single-family residences. Accompanying this development was a significant rise in burglaries of appliances, building materials, and tools from construction sites. Within this geographic area, Charlie One (C-1), the largest district established by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, officers quickly noticed the increases in reports, complaints, investigator requests, and crime statistics, and as the pace of construction continued to increase, so did the number of thefts. In 1998, two C-1 officers requested permission to dedicate time to work on the construction theft problem. The officers carefully studied building practices and construction timelines, as well as the relationship between contractors and subcontractors. They then reduced sites’ vulnerability and, consequently, theft from them by forging crucial partnerships with contractors to adjust their schedules. This chapter describes the officers’ significant efforts which resulted in 18 more cases cleared than in 1998. Figures