Christian Security Network warns of increased thefts and suggests ways churches may reduce their losses

Copper Thefts Costing Churches Tens of Millions in Losses

- Christian Newswire
Monday, July 11, 2011

MANASSAS, Va., The theft of copper has hit epidemic proportions in this country and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates losses of over $1 billion a year.

Christian Security Network, http://www.christiansecuritynetwork.org/ an organization with a mission to assist churches and ministries to become safer and better secured is warning churches that the number of incidents is increasing and gives advice on their website to reduce risks and ensure monetary losses are limited.

Criminals have stolen from churches items such as downspouts, gutters, bells, pieces of cemetery markers, and crosses - basically anything made of copper. Construction sites of churches have been hit with plumbing and wires being stolen. And air conditioning units are being taken at an alarming rate, in some areas dozens of thefts a week in almost every area of the country.

“Unfortunately a.c. units are the main targets and we have seen everything from small window models to large units weighing as much as five tons stolen from churches,â€