Police Warn Against HVAC Unit Theft

Monday afternoon, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a warning for Southwest Minneapolis residents to be on the lookout for thieves hunting for stained glass in vacant homes and copper from exterior air conditioning and heating systems. 

Police say real estate agents and homeowners should take keep good pictures of the stained glass windows and any other removable architectural details on houses under construction or for sale, so police can identify items if recovered. They also urge anyone holding an open house to keep an eye out for people acting suspiciously or paying undue attention to these kinds of fixtures, and to try to get their name and address to help police identify suspects if a theft happens.

While the theft of copper pipes is an old story, police say they have now noticed thieves stealing externally-mounted Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning units from Southwest Minneapolis businesses. If you have HVAC units, police say, consider marking on the units in multiple places on multiple pieces “Property of (your address)” to make it less desirable for theft.