The Associated Press via The St. Paul Pioneer Press
MINNEAPOLIS — 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 occurred late at night.
Trustee Jean Kidd told KARE-TV it would cost more than $16,000 to repair the two units. Instead, the social hall and museum will buy a pair of new units for $13,000, Kidd said. The station said the worth of the stolen copper is a small fraction of that. Trustees expect insurance to cover some but not all of the costs.
Minneapolis police said copper thefts are increasing at commercial and residential properties.
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