Copper thieves strike Minn. firefighters museum
Copper thieves have struck the Firefighters Hall and Museum in northeast Minneapolis.
A trustee noticed missing condenser coils in damaged air conditioning units while he was checking out a possible ice dam problem on the building's roof. Officials believe the theft happened late one night this month.
Trustee Jean Kidd tells KARE-TV it would cost over $16,000 to repair their two units. Instead, the social hall and museum will buy a pair of new units for $13,000. The station says the worth of the stolen copper is a small fraction of that. Trustees expect insurance to cover some but not all the costs.
Minneapolis police say copper theft is on the rise at commercial and especially residential properties. They say everyone is susceptible, including abandoned and foreclosed homes.
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The KARE-TV story can be found at: http://bit.ly/g6FMpb
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Online: Firefighters Hall and Museum
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Information from: KARE-TV
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)