March 4, 2011
Massachusetts

MWCC police probe theft from wind turbine site

www.telegram.com 4 March 2011

GARDNER – Mount Wachusett Community College police are investigating the theft in January of about $25,000 worth of wiring and other metal items from a field off Matthews Street where two wind turbines are being built for the college.

College Police Chief Karen M. Kolimaga said that sometime over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, someone entered the construction site and made off with materials being used to erect the turbines. She said the items were hauled to Matthews Street and taken away in an unidentified vehicle.

Chief Kolimaga said the items stolen have a street value of about $10,000 to $12,000 if sold for scrap. She said the same people may have again attempted to steal from the site last weekend. She said the site was again breached, but it has not yet been determined if anything was stolen.

She said college police are working with Gardner police detectives and other agencies in investigating the theft.

The college is erecting two 1.65 megawatt wind turbines in a field between Matthews Street and the college.

The construction area is off-limits to all but authorized personnel.

Chief Kolimaga said the thefts caused a slight slowdown in construction while the items taken were replaced, but the project remains on schedule. Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the Mount Wachusett Community College Police Department at (978) 630-9365.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/04/mwcc-police-probe-theft-from-wind-turbine-site/