Task force formed due to AC theft

TULSA - There were more than 100 air conditioning unit thefts in two months.
Police say crooks were after the copper in the units.

It prompted Tulsa police to form a task force.

"We put together a task force using JAG grant money to address the problem and get some intel," said Sergeant Shellie Wood with the Tulsa Police Department.

The JAG grant is federal money the department used to pay for officer overtime. The task force was made up of burglary detectives and other officers who pooled data together. In six weeks time, they saw a drop in thefts and made arrests.

The officers also turned to scrap metal yards, like Advanced Metal Recycling, for help.

Jeff Ray with Advanced Metal Recycling says it's equipped with a dozen cameras that cover every square foot of the building.

Every sale is recorded on the cameras and some have been used to prosecute criminals who bring in stolen units with hopes of selling them.

Ray says his company works with TPD every week.

He says some have asked him if his proactive approach is causing him to lose out on business, but he says he wants to run his business the right way.

"We believe we reap what we sow, so we if we do it right we know that our business is going to increase long-term so we really don't worry about the business that we might lose," said Ray.

Police recommend that you have your AC unit fenced in.

They also say you can get an alarm attached to it too.