John Bitely talks with WOOD TV8 about construction site thefts: ‘It’s not a victimless crime’

While the Kent County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a string of construction site thefts, Sable Homes President John Bitely told WOOD TV8 that theft is an unfortunate part of the industry.

“We’re an easy target a lot of times because product is on site, being used, and people leave at night and there’s no one there to guard it,” Bitely said in an interview with WOOD TV8. “The real bummer is that many times they steal tools and stuff that people depend on to make their living. So it’s not a victimless crime. They are directly affecting someone’s income.”

And even with insurance, deductibles can be high, according to Bitely.

“If it’s $1,000 deductible and they take $1,200 worth of stuff, the builder or the subcontractor is just plain out of the product,” he explained.

Since the beginning of April, the sheriff’s office said around $23,000 worth of trailers, tools and construction materials have been stolen from job sites across the county. They’ve notified housing development and construction companies but is asking people living in new developments to call if they see anything suspicious.

“If you see cars in and out of construction sites after hours, it’s probably not a good thing,” Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said. “We want you to go ahead and call and let us know that there is activity on the construction site.”

“Just because you see a pickup truck at a job site doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be there,” Bitely added.

Watch the full interview, here.