ST. GEORGE — The Hurricane City Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify the suspects responsible for a rash of construction site burglaries that resulted in significant losses to those working in an industry already plagued with skyrocketing costs and delays.
“Do you have all the tools you need for your job? Sadly a lot of construction crews don’t anymore,” the Police Department said in a recent post on social media that outlined the recent burglaries of construction sites.
Hurricane Police Officer Dan Raddatz told St. George News there were seven burglaries that took place on a single night last week, starting shortly after dark on Sept. 22 and then continued into the early morning hours of Sept. 23.
The incidents reportedly occurred at construction sites scattered along 600 North, as well as sites located in the Elim Valley area, which is a large, master-planned community near Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane.
In all, more than $50,000 in equipment was stolen during the all-night burglary spree, he said.
Photos of the suspects were captured by security cameras at one of the sites, Raddatz said, which interestingly, was the only site that was not missing anything.
In this incident, just as the suspects were cutting a lock on the trailer door, Raddatz said, they looked up, saw the camera and ran off without taking anything.
The only site where nothing was taken was also the only one equipped with surveillance, he added.
Security expert John Morris, with Mountain Alarm Fire and Security, told St. George News security cameras often serve as a vital deterrent, which in turn reduces the losses sustained.
Because construction sites are usually in remote locations, similar to other industrial locations, it can be challenging in terms of security, since they may lack proper lighting, have unstable or inconsistent electricity, or could be missing physical infrastructure needed to install traditional cameras. These areas are also commonly located in underdeveloped spaces that are out of the public’s view and prone to theft, vandalism and other criminal activity.
Outside traditional security monitoring, another option created for construction sites involves remote site surveillance, he said, where a company brings a trailer to the site equipped with Wi-Fi cameras, motion detectors and other security features that provide a rapid transmission of images and can also be adapted to operate in any site.
The cameras can be hardwired to the internet or use a wireless connection. They also come with battery backups, while others are solar-powered or use a backup generator and are easy to access instantly, either on a mobile device or laptop, Morris said, adding that these mobile surveillance trailers are set up and taken down by the company as well.
Either way, security is a growing concern, he said, considering the costs of equipment and materials used in the construction industry that continue to skyrocket, in addition to the financial losses incurred when a crew is left without the equipment needed to do their jobs.
The Police Department is asking anyone who recognizes the two men in the photos, or who may have information that can assist investigators to call 435-627-4999.
This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo gallery
Statement issued by the Hurricane Police Department following a rash of construction site burglaries in Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 22, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Hurricane Police Department, St. George News Surveillance images of two men suspected in a rash of construction site burglaries in Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 22, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Hurricane Police Department, St. George News Surveillance images of two men suspected in a rash of construction site burglaries in Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 22, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Hurricane Police Department, St. George News One of two suspects caught on surveillance footage captured during a rash of construction site burglaries in Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 22, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Hurricane Police Department, St. George News 
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