Cops: Construction crimes on the rise

A stolen backhoe was recovered by San Diego police investigators 500 miles from home and is just one example of construction-related crime - a rising trend throughout San Diego County.

A $20,000 backhoe recovered about 500 miles from home and a San Diego-based burglary ring busted in December are just two recent cases showcasing an uptick in construction crimes in San Diego County.

Over the past six months, San Diego police investigators have worked dozens of construction-related thefts, and the crimes are making some thieves tens of thousands of dollars, said Officer Pat Shadoan.

Other law enforcement agencies also are dealing with the problem, including the Sheriffs Department and Chula Vista police.

Stolen items include air compressors, generators, light stands, tools and construction vehicles, including the backhoe that was stolen in November near Benicia in the Bay Area and recovered in San Diego.

Lou Little, who manages used equipment for Peterson Tractor Co., said it was pure luck when San Diego police called to tell him the backhoe had been found when another backhoes theft-tracking device went off.

Almost every big piece of construction equipment the company works with has a tracking system, but the stolen one didnt, Little said.

We had lent it to a church, he said. We got a call from them later asking if there was something wrong with it. I pretty much knew then it had been stolen.

Shadoan said the backhoe was found in a salvage yard near the U.S.-Mexico border along with another stolen backhoe.

Many of the cases San Diego police have worked in the past six months began in Mexico, he said.

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Cops: Construction crimes on the rise