DPD crackdown on daylight scrappers dressed as contractors

DETROIT (WJBK) - Hoards of scrappers are looting the city of Detroit, stealing whatever they can sell. FOX 2 even caught some bold bandits looting a house in broad daylight.

This week only on FOX 2 news, we showed you video of scrappers caught red-handed on Detroit's west side trying to strip a house. But once we arrived and our camera started rolling, the criminals bailed.

"Basically what I saw was a group of individuals who were posing as legitimate contractors who were not legitimate contractors, this is common, said Sgt. Rebecca McKay, Detroit police.

McKay is part of the DPD general assignment unit, Part of her team's focus is to bust anyone going around the city stripping vacant houses and also keeping an eye on where the goods may be sold.

"Diligent in monitoring the scrap yards and conducting inspections and submitting warrants when necessary," she said.

McKay said cracking down on scrappers is on the department's priority one list - just like we caught these bandits in daylight trying to strip a house, the same happened early Thursday on Conley Street on the city's east side.

It happened in an area with nice brick homes that are well kept, going to show that these scrappers are not just targeting blight-filled neighborhoods.

Fortunately in this incident, police arrived before too much damage had been done.

"The damage that I'm aware of happened prior to police getting here was simply doors being taken off the hinges," McKay said.

This resident who lives on Conley Street tells me this house, which police say is now owned by the Housing and Urban Development has been vacant for at least three years.

Although repairs are underway to make it attractive to a buyer, the temptation is still there.

"It's like you leave a car running in the middle of the street for so long," said 'Nard, a neighbor. "Someone is going to jump in it."