$5K in Scrap-Related Thefts Discovered in West Deptford

Four aluminum ramps valued at $1,200 apiece and a junction box cover with an estimated worth of $100 were both reported stolen in the township this week.

West Deptford police believe the crimes are both crimes of opportunity and related to the value of scrap metal in a down economy. 

That makes them no less frustrating for the victims, however.

Sometime between 6 p.m. July 17 and 4 a.m. July 18, four aluminum loading and unloading ramps were reportedly taken from several vehicles belonging to Ambrogi Foods on Metropolitan Ave in the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Park.

The trucks had been parked in the parking lot of the business; the ramps were attached to a sliding mechanism and unbolted from the truck beds. Each ramp is approximately 14 feet long and 2.5 feet wide, weighing approximately 60 to 70 pounds, police said.

The total value of the stolen property was reported at $4,800.

Then on July 24, police say a New Jersey Department of Transportation employee reported the theft of an iron junction box cover from the area of Red Bank Avenue and I-295.

The cover was valued at approximately $100.00.

"Most of these crimes are crimes of opportunity," said West Deptford Police Chief Craig Mangano. "Several security measures can be taken to make it harder for the actors to commit the thefts."

Among them, Mangano said that businesses should keep yards locked and well-lit and back equipment trucks against buildings to slow thieves. Adding video surveillance to a property is always beneficial as well.