TEMPLE, Texas — According to the Temple Police Department (TPD), property crimes have been happening more frequently in 2023 and the department has seen an increase in the year-to-date numbers experienced last year.
More recently, Temple Police have received reports of stolen heavy construction equipment, primarily skid steers. A spokesperson for TPD told 6 News there were two skid steers reported stolen the week before Thanksgiving.
However, TPD said heavy equipment thefts are not considered a widespread issue at this time.
Fermin Salas, owner of Scorpion Concrete LLC, said he recently had his $60,000 skid steer stolen.
Salas told 6 News he was going to not be able to work, or finish jobs without that piece of equipment. Fortunately, the skid steer was located and returned back to Salas after three days and the local business owner wasn't going to have to spend the couple grand it would have cost to replace it.
"If we didn't find it, we would've had to buy another one so we could keep working," Salas explained. "We found it because of Facebook. A lot of people told me I wasn't going to find [the skid steer], but I got lucky. Thanks to God too."
Salas said he has noticed other construction materials, like plywood, windows and rebar, have been getting stolen too. He said thieves seem to be willing to do anything for the crime and property owners should protect themselves.
"I recommend they take the work equipment to their home or lock it with chains," Salas added.
Salas believes thieves are stealing the construction materials to turn around and sell them to make a quick buck. He told 6 News that someone was trying to sell his skid steer before he was notified by a friend on Facebook.
A TPD spokesperson said the department "constantly reviews strategies and resources to combat criminal activity." They also encourage the public to utilize good crime prevention techniques to help keep their equipment safe.
With property crimes up from the previous year, Temple Police said it will have increased cases of "unauthorized use of motor vehicles this year, mainly due to the Kia Boys Challenge and Hyundai vehicle design flaws."
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