Roofing thieves hit warehouses

Thieves stealing roofing shingles and other building materials from job sites is nothing new, but organized rings of criminals may be targeting warehouses across the nation, according to a report by the Associated Press.

ABC Supply, the nation’s largest roofing wholesaler, reported thefts at its warehouses in Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, California, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Connecticut and Maryland.

Bradco Supply, the Avenel, N.J.-based roofing distribution chain, lost 10 semitrailer loads of shingles in Fort Worth, Texas, last spring, according to the news report. Three months later, a warehouse in Tulsa, Okla., was hit, and the thieves hauled away $100,000 worth of shingles. Bradco has begun adding a splash of paint to shingle packaging to help identify them.

Law enforcement agencies told the Associated Press they suspect that thieves may be selling the roofing materials to contractors or homeowners. Another possibility is that an organized crime operation is stockpiling the shingles in anticipation of a hurricane or other storm.