HAVERHILL — Police are asking neighbors of vacant houses to keep an eye on them and report any suspicious activity, after thefts of copper pipes from four buildings.
"Our best defense is a nosy neighbor," Capt. Alan Ratte said yesterday.
More than $10,000 worth of copper pipes was stolen in the past two weeks from four buildings that were vacant or under renovation by their owners.
Police said they believe the thefts are the work of the same people.
"We are going under that assumption," Ratte said.
Monday at 4:53 p.m., a Realtor in charge of a building at 34 Primrose St., called police to report copper piping valued at $3,000 and water pipes valued at $4,000 had been stripped from the basement of the property.
Police were unable to view the basement because it flooded when the pipes were removed.
Ratte said the owner of 3 Arlington Place, who is renovating the building, reported the theft of copper pipes from the kitchen, bathroom and basement to police at 7:36 a.m. yesterday.
The pipes taken in that theft were valued at $2,000, Ratte said.
On Aug. 24, police investigated the thefts of cooper pipes from two other buildings. One was a house bought at a recent auction. The other was just purchased and was being renovated.
A man told police that about $2,000 worth of copper pipe was stolen from the basement at 8 Vine St. The man said he had recently bought the home and was renovating it.
A woman told police she had purchased the home at 20 Ashland St. at auction about three weeks ago, and discovered a break there last week. There was no dollar loss listed in police reports for the items taken, but police said they believe it to be well over $2,000 because the thieves "cleaned the place out," Ratte said.
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