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Hard times lead to desperate measures. That’s a simple fact.
In these economic hard times, there’s no doubt people will go to just about any lengths to obtain money.
Case in point is a story on today’s front page about a man who is accused of stealing the copper downspouts from the St. Johns Church on Terrace Street in Honesdale. He apparently managed to remove a bunch of the downspouts from the historic building.
Fortunately for the police and church, the accused might also appear in an upcoming edition of “dumbest criminals.” It seems he managed to get the downspouts down but then drug them down the street — leaving tracks in the snow. It didn’t take police long to follow the tracks, find the downspouts and make an arrest. The man remains in jail.
Though it’s possible to find some humor in this strange case, there’s a bigger story here — precious metals.
As the metal markets continue to rise, that means thieves are on the prowl in an effort to line their own pockets.
Maybe you have lightening rods or some other type of metal in, on or around your house. If so, be vigilant. Thieves will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Honesdale Police Chief Joseph LoBasso said this is the first large-scale incident in the borough but said there have been reports in other nearby areas of major thefts of precious metals. That means thieves are in the area and looking for places to rob.
The chief reminds residents to be vigilant and if they do have valuables, do your best to keep them locked up somewhere. He also reminds people to be mindful of their neighbors, especially the elderly, who might not realize they have something of value a thief might want to take.
And it should be a reminder to us that nobody is immune from thieves. We certainly don’t live in a high crime area, however, there is crime everywhere and hard economic times tend to mean a rise in thefts.
This is simply a reminder to everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to be vigilant. If you see questionable activity, let the authorities know. It’s up to all of us to look after each other.
Hard times lead to desperate measures. That’s a simple fact.
In these economic hard times, there’s no doubt people will go to just about any lengths to obtain money.
Case in point is a story on today’s front page about a man who is accused of stealing the copper downspouts from the St. Johns Church on Terrace Street in Honesdale. He apparently managed to remove a bunch of the downspouts from the historic building.
Fortunately for the police and church, the accused might also appear in an upcoming edition of “dumbest criminals.” It seems he managed to get the downspouts down but then drug them down the street — leaving tracks in the snow. It didn’t take police long to follow the tracks, find the downspouts and make an arrest. The man remains in jail.
Though it’s possible to find some humor in this strange case, there’s a bigger story here — precious metals.
As the metal markets continue to rise, that means thieves are on the prowl in an effort to line their own pockets.
Maybe you have lightening rods or some other type of metal in, on or around your house. If so, be vigilant. Thieves will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Honesdale Police Chief Joseph LoBasso said this is the first large-scale incident in the borough but said there have been reports in other nearby areas of major thefts of precious metals. That means thieves are in the area and looking for places to rob.
The chief reminds residents to be vigilant and if they do have valuables, do your best to keep them locked up somewhere. He also reminds people to be mindful of their neighbors, especially the elderly, who might not realize they have something of value a thief might want to take.
And it should be a reminder to us that nobody is immune from thieves. We certainly don’t live in a high crime area, however, there is crime everywhere and hard economic times tend to mean a rise in thefts.
This is simply a reminder to everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to be vigilant. If you see questionable activity, let the authorities know. It’s up to all of us to look after each other.
