Tulsa Police: Burglars Targeting Vacant Homes

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Five times a week, burglars are hitting a particular type of Tulsa home and stealing appliances.

The houses they are targeting are being renovated or are for sale or rent.

Tulsa Police say these crimes are hard to solve because neighbors often think the burglars are just workers who are helping with the renovations and the people who own the homes often aren't there for days at a time.

"I think it was late at night," said Harold Campbell, a burglary victim.

Lori Fullbright, The News On 6: "You do?"

"Yeah, because I asked the neighbors," Campbell said.

Harold is fixing up a house to rent. Recently, someone bashed in the garage door and ripped out the electrical box. He estimates the thieves cost him about $3,000.

"I had a stove in there and they took that too," he said. "The sad thing is you know they just junked it and probably got $5."

He was afraid they'd come back for his hot water tank and furnace, so he moved his renters in early and is framing out the garage to make an extra room and give burglars one less entry point.

Detectives are getting about five of these reports a week and have some advice for homeowners.

"Write down serial numbers, a lot of these things have serial numbers, we do get them recorded and run searches," said Sergeant Brandon Watkins, Tulsa Police. "Another thing, good neighbors. We recommend old people, they pay attention. They're in the neighborhood 24hours a day and they pay attention."

He says even if neighbors don't want to call police when they see people at an empty house, they should write down tag numbers, just in case those people are burglars, not workers.

As for Harold, he'd like the thieves who got him, to learn a lesson.

"What should happen to the guy who broke in? He should go to jail, learn to respect other people's things, go to jail," he said.

Police say they're not sure what the market is for these appliances, if they're being scrapped for the metal or sold to second hand stores and flea markets. For now, they want everyone to be aware of this trend, because that's the first step toward protecting yourself.