Copper Thieves Robbing Coahoma County
Right in Front of Our Eyes
PHOTOS
Clarksdalian’s know the site: “A rare bluff in the Mississippi Delta at the edge of Clarksdale, Mississippi and around the historic house of the city founder’s daughter.”
The Coahoma County Higher Education Center in Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta.
We have seen it transform in recent years into a center for higher education. We are talking about our beloved Cutrer Mansion and it’s new addition called the Coahoma County Higher Education Center; a joint effort between Delta State University and Coahoma Community College.
Sadly, what has been going on there unbeknownst to most is a lesson in “how to rob someone and not get caught.”
From the front of the building, all appears well. It is a needful addition, although it has no design feature that ties it to it’s partner, the historical Cutrer Mansion, but that’s another story for another day. It is tasteful, stoic, and covered in beautiful, expensive, easy-to-steal, difficult-to-trace copper; or, shall we say, it used to be covered in copper.
As we wandered the empty campus to photograph the larceny, we were completely hidden from public view. Safe. Alone. A thief’s delight. After awhile, it became spooky just hanging around the place, knowing one might scream and never be heard.
We recently read in the Mississippi Business Journal about some scrap metal thieves who are stealing bridge supports. This sparked our memory of the day we documented what had been pilfered from our community.
When you ride by, turn your head and see for yourself. They have become brazen. They are robbing us right in front of our eyes. MM
WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE COMMENTS!!
I thought that Wood Security caught some of the thieves a while back??
That is good news! We took these photos over a month ago. When were they caught? Has it stopped? I hope so.
Hey Madge! I sat down a couple of months ago with Jen and she told me that Wood Security had caught someone … you know as well as I that there was probably more than one person doing it. Not sure if it stopped completely after the arrest … ? Hopefully, they will be able to soon better secure the grounds because that place has so much potential to do good things!
Matt, it had to be a slew of folks. Bet they were partying up there! The photos, as I mentioned, are several weeks old. Reading the MS Business Journal article about the metal being stolen from bridges in Mississippi precipitated my posting these. I’m not sure many folks in Clarksdale are aware of the thefts at the CCHEC.
I’m certain Jen will be successful with the project! Securing it will require cameras and a full time security guard at night. Not sure that will happen. Have a walk around it….especially at dusk….and you will see what I mean.
My brother lost $1,000’s of dollars of farm equipment to chop shop metal thieves. His thief was actually hired as a manager and given a home to live in. He was smooth. The first week he was alone on the job he made numerous trips to the chop shop. Tractors, Planters, Cultivators, etc…. most everything my brother had at his shop…gone. In broad daylight! Other farmers saw him hauling the stuff away (with friends) and assumed he was doing it for my brother. Once my brother learned of it and confronted him, he left. Immediately. Gone. No Trace Of Him Anywhere!
It is sad they did so much damage to the CCHEC before anyone noticed but they were very clever. They did it on the back side of the structure and up high where one would not look/notice. It is sad.
Given this economy, I bet it happens more and more.