MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The heat is on the rise and so are air conditioner thefts. Wednesday, May 23, a large air conditioning unit was attached to a home in the 1500-block of Frayser Blvd.; the next day dangling wires are all that remained.
Pam Drain lives across the street, she says, "They stole the one that sits on the ground."
Drain has window units and still worries they could be stolen. "I am, because I work so much it's so easy to lift and just take. This is Frayser, that's what they do, they steal a lot."
Clifton Effinger also lives in the neighborhood, he says his neighbor's unit was taken a few months ago. "Central air, they took it. It was brand new, they had just put it out there, they came back and took it."
Effinger says, "You wonder if they are ever going to get you, when your turn's going to come."
Shelby County Sheriff spokesperson Chip Washington says you need to prepare for crooks to come out with the warm weather.
"Every year you have a rash of thefts in terms of air conditioning units," Washington says, "A lot of people use the copper for scrap metal, that's always been an issue. But with the temperatures heating up into the 90's near 100, people are going to take AC units."
Effinger sits outside most of the day, he keeps an eye on the neighborhood and has another weapon. "I got a body guard in my house," he says, "I got a big dog and he's going to bite real hard."
Drain has her unit nailed to the wall, and she hopes and prays as the temperatures rise she won't be the next victim.
