A West Side woman was dismayed last week to discover the new appliances delivered to three rental units she owns on West 16th Avenue had been stolen in the latest of a string of thefts to construction sites in Vancouver.
Joanna Colettis is dividing an older heritage-style home into three suites. As part of that construction, new microwaves, fridges, washers and dryers, dishwashers and stoves were delivered Aug. 4. But some time between late Thursday afternoon and Friday morning all the appliances were stolen.
"The delivery driver told us to be careful because of a rash of thefts of appliances in Dunbar," said Colettis. "So we made sure everything was locked Thursday, but most of the appliances were already installed so we weren't worried. But then our builder called Friday morning to say everything had been stolen."
Colettis said since then she's heard from her builder and police that a sophisticated network of thieves is targeting homes under construction.
"They go into homes and take these huge items and are very visible, but no one reports them," said Colettis. "These thieves are brazen. It's tough because you work so hard and scrimp and save and then someone comes along and just takes your stuff."
Craig Simmiss, the contractor in charge of the construction job, said many new homes under construction include alarm systems.
"But they don't do any good if they're not hooked up or there's no hydro," said Simmiss, a licensed builder and head of GreatSpace Homes. "This is a huge problem for any home that's vacant."
Appliances are not the only items being stolen from building sites. On June 28 the Vancouver Police Department released a public warning advising residents and construction companies of increased residential break-ins of homes under construction. Besides appliances, common thefts included tools and hardwood flooring, as well as copper wire and tubing.
Since the end of March, there have been 30 reported break-andenters to homes under construction, including garages. According to the VPD, the break-ins occurred on weekends and at night when the homes were unoccupied. In each case the doors were pried open or kicked in.
Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, said appliance theft from construction sites is on the rise and added furnaces are also being targeted.
"We identified this as a major problem three years ago and met with the RCMP about it," said Simpson. "It's getting so bad some of our [association] members are having GPS systems installed in high-end appliances."
Simpson said most appliance packages for new homes cost many thousands of dollars. Once stolen, these high-end appliances are typically shipped out of province or even the country, but on occasion end up on the online classified website Craigslist. A search of Craigslist showed several Sub Zero fridges for sale Monday for between $4,000 and $8,000.
Simpson said when homeowners are shopping for an appliance and find a deal on a site like Craigslist, a good rule of thumb is to ask, "where did you get this?"
"This is not new, but it is getting worse," said Simpson. "Some thieves are so brazen they'll steal right under the nose of workers because on a big construction site there are many trades who don't know each other."
The VPD says residents should look out for their neighbours and immediately report suspicious people or activities to 911. Construction workers are reminded to take care when leaving tools, equipment or valuable items at unsecured work sites.
Twitter: @sthomas10
