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1 Comment [ View ]Hospital computers worth $50,000 stolen / Storage sheds a ripe target for theft, police say
By DI LEWISTREMONTON -- The theft of $50,000 of hospital computers shows storage sheds -- often unguarded, seldom checked and usually isolated from other businesses -- are becoming tempting targets.
The computer equipment was stolen from a Tremonton storage shed being used by the Bear River Valley Hospital, said Tremonton Police Chief Dave Nance.
He said the burglars probably expected to get a computer to hook up at home or sell, but actually got specialized equipment.
Eric Packer, hospital administrator, said the equipment was a nurse call system. He believes the thieves probably won't figure out how to make the system work, but wouldn't be able to do anything with it if they did.
The call system is insured and the hospital has ordered a replacement for its new building, which opens in February, but Packer said he still hopes someone will return the equipment.
The system arrived earlier than expected, so it was being stored until the building was ready, he said.
Hospital employees discovered the equipment was missing near the end of December, but it was probably stolen several weeks before that.
The city has seen a spate of burglaries at storage facilities, but incidents spike in the summer and from October to December, "when people are doing Christmas shopping without their own money," Nance said.
Stolen equipment is hard to track, he said, and the sometimes-unguarded storage sheds make attractive targets for burglars.
Nance said people may not know for weeks or months that their belongings have been stolen.
"Part of the problem is, people put their stuff in there and kind of forget about it -- they just don't check on them regularly," he said.
"It can be difficult to pin down when the storage unit may have been broken into."
People can reduce burglaries by storing equipment in a lighted, fenced facility and having a very good lock, Nance said. But a facility with no security or cameras is even better.
Nance recommends people check on units regularly to make sure the lock hasn't been cut or changed or any belongings taken.
Many people know something is missing, but might not be sure what, he said.
Owners can help police recover equipment by keeping a list of what was in the storage shed, with photos or descriptions of items, Nance said.
Keeping serial numbers of items helps police search pawn shops and gives police a way to track missing items on a computer system if the goods are ever recovered, he said.
"That's about the only way that we can have much luck."
Nance said police will check for evidence such as fingerprints, but tracking burglaries at storage sheds can be difficult.
He said he is surprised by the value of items people store, especially if they are in the process of moving, and urges residents to be careful with property.
Anyone with information about burglaries can contact the Tremonton Police Department at (435) 257-2632.
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