Lofts Phase V
Criminals continue to target Mercer University construction sites. From Oct. 2 to Dec. 6, these areas were either burgled or vandalized a total of seven times, and all but two incidents involve the new Lofts Phase V on Mercer University Drive. According to estimates made in Mercer police reports, total damages and labor costs associated with fixing the new lofts are nearly $14,000. All of these cases are still active. According to Mercer Police Chief Gary Collins, the area is not fenced in, and there are no cameras surveying the area.
“We patrol the area,” he said. “We have stopped people over there. We have run people off. Thefts are very easy in construction sites.” The National Association of Home Builders and the National Equipment Register estimates job site thefts cost the construction industry one billion dollars a year.
Notable Offenses:
Dec. 3 – At a Mercer construction site, a person stole a hammer drill and a drill bit valued at $700 total. According to the report, there was no damage to the lock of the container that laid at the front of the site. The witness interviewed told officers he believed the drill was stolen the previous day during working hours.
Dec. 6 – A person broke into a construction office trailer at the Lofts Phase V site and stole a microwave valued at $160, a side grinder valued at $250 and a circular saw valued at $100. The perpetrator got into the trailer after breaking out a window and using a barrel to boost themself up. Footprints were left near the scene.
Dec. 7 – An office trailer at the Physical Plant building construction site was broken into a day after the Lofts Phase V site. The person made off with a microwave and some toilet paper. There was no information on the make or model of the microwave or how much paper was lifted. Value estimates were not included by the reporting officer.
First Reported Criminal Incidents of the Year
Mercer students have returned to begin the winter semester, and it didn’t take long before Mercer Police were called to handle a criminal offense. As of Jan. 22, two incidents have occurred. Someone stole a radio from a person’s car which was parked in the MEP lot, and someone stole a student’s phone in the UC gym.
To provide crime tips, please email Nicholas Wooten at manager@mercercluster.com.
