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- Local & State
Reidsville, NC -- Who would steal from a church? That's the question sheriff's deputies in Rockingham County have asked 27 times, so far this year.
The Rockingham County Sheriff's Department reported that 24 churches, some more than once, have been hit over the past 11 months. Sheriff Sam Page said thieves are stealing everything from air conditioning units, to electronics, speaker systems, and cash. He said the bottom line is, churches are targets.
"The world is now twisted because people were made to be loved and things were made to be used. Now, it's things are being loved and people are being used," said Pastor James Hodges, of the Burton Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Reidsville.
Hodges' church was hit twice this year. The first time, thieves broke in, looking for cash. The second time, thieves stole an air conditioning unit worth $5,000.
Hodges said they've forgiven the thieves, but they're also protecting themselves. They've installed security cameras, lights, and signs to warn them that they're going to get caught.
Nevertheless, it still shocks even law enforcement.
"A few years ago, criminals didn't mess around with churches. It was hands off. Now, if a criminal can steal your air conditioning unit, if he can steal your lawn mower from the church, if he can break in and steal change out of the office, they do it," said Page.
Page is telling more than 430 churches in Rockingham County that they too need to beef up security by installing alarm systems, lighting, security cameras and limiting the number of people who have access to the churches.
When it comes to stolen items, pawn shops and recycling centers have to report everything sold to them to law enforcement. In North Carolina, it's a state law.
However, not everything is pawned and not everything has a serial number. So without giving away all their tricks, Page is urging churches to contact the crime prevention officer in the sheriff's department to find out how they can mark and identify their property that could be targeted. He added, unfortunately, nothing seems to be sacred anymore.
"Criminals now realize that churches, like businesses, have things of value and they are targeting them," he said.
The sheriff's department is also asking the public to play watchdog.
"If you see someone around a church at night, and it's after hours, it doesn't look right, call law enforcement right then, city, sheriff's office, whichever, call them," said Page.
Page said so far, detectives have made some arrests, but come December 1, 2011, they are going after church thieves, hard.
Hodges said whether the thieves are arrested or not, there are still consequences for their actions.
"Hopefully, this can be used as someone's own conscience can get to them. They have to live with this the rest of their life. We don't really break the law, the law breaks us," said Hodges.
WFMY News 2
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