Seems only fitting

[dwasson]

from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlates...027647,00.html

Thieves Hit Katrina Memorial Site

Monday August 21, 2006 2:46 AM


NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Thieves hauled off $100,000 worth of heavy equipment that was being used to help build a Lower Ninth Ward memorial to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

A Bobcat excavator and a Bobcat T300 Skid Steer Loader, both of which require trailers or flatbed trucks to transport, were removed from the site sometime between midnight and 6:30 a.m. Saturday, construction company officials said.

In the neighborhood that remains nearly pitch black at night almost a year after the levees failed, the equipment didn't last three days at the site.

``This takes a lot of guts,'' said Bill Petty, senior vice president of Walton Construction Co. and a 26-year veteran of the construction business. ``I've never seen it happen like this in my entire career.''

National Guard soldiers have been keeping an eye on the construction site at the request of Walton and city officials.

``I don't know what broke down,'' Petty said. ``It could have looked as if (the thieves) were the owners of the equipment moving it off.''

Walton, a Kansas City, Mo.-based firm, and its subcontractors broke ground on the memorial project Wednesday afternoon.

``It's just ironic,'' John Martin, Walton president and CEO, said by phone from Phoenix. ``People are down there trying to do something good. Nothing has been happening in the area for nine months.''

Once home to nearly 12,000 people, the Lower 9th Ward remains a largely vacant, debris-stained portion of New Orleans.

The equipment belonged to a subcontractor hired to pour concrete at the site. Despite the theft, concrete for the memorial was poured Saturday as planned.

``The unveiling will be on Aug. 27,'' Petty said. ``We are going to finish on time, despite the loss. Weather depending, of course.''

[Bluerauder]

A Bobcat excavator and a Bobcat T300 Skid Steer Loader, both of which require trailers or flatbed trucks to transport, were removed from the site sometime between midnight and 6:30 a.m. Saturday, construction company officials said.

``This takes a lot of guts,'' said Bill Petty, senior vice president of Walton Construction Co. and a 26-year veteran of the construction business. ``I've never seen it happen like this in my entire career.''

``It could have looked as if (the thieves) were the owners of the equipment moving it off.''

That last line would be my guess ... sometimes thieves are so bold that no one would ever think they were actually stealing the equipment.

Bobcats and Skid Steers are pretty small and therefore easily pilferable. Last year in Manassas, VA the night thieves stole a 2 cu yd Backhoe -- now that is some really heavy equipment requiring a tractor and lowbed trailer combo. It seems that construction sites and new home construction is a favorite target and whole new homeloads of appliances and HVAC disappear overnight.

[MarauderMark]

Yeah i watch thieves steal those big yellow bucket diggers in north phila once while the city was digging up the street and i didnt knopw it was stolen until the next day when the construction workers told me.then they said that this happens all the time and the thieves grind off the vin, repaint and sell them in another state.

[sailsmen]

Every person whose home I know that was flooded in Orleans Parish was also looted, even the attics.

The NO Yacht Clubs 2 generators were stolen from a visible area.

I was recently in that area and it looks like a wasteland.

The problem is the Orleans Parish Crminal Justice System including the NOPD, DA and Judges is broken and has been for a long time.

The conviction rate is 7%, except murder is 6%. They coined the phrase 60 day homicide.

The criminals are starting the leave Houston becuase you actuall get convicted and serve time in Houston.