Copper theft spike leaves Montgomery businesses with thousands in damage
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — On a recent August day when temperatures climbed into the 90s, Tom Moore found his business Trademark Coins & Currency hotter than usual.
“I came into work and a gentleman from Comfort Air pulled up and he opened the door and said, ‘Hey, is your AC working?’” Moore said. “And I said, ironically, it’s not. How did you know? And he said, ‘Well, somebody cut all the AC lines in the back.’”
Thieves looking for copper had cut the lines on five of the nine air conditioning units serving the office complex off of Vaughn Road.
The thieves did not take the copper, but the damage still cost thousands of dollars to repair. Because it makes a loud noise when the lines are cut, thieves will often leave and come back later to finish stealing the copper.
“The ones they cut here, they didn’t even steal a piece,” said Austin Lott, owner of Comfort Air Inc. “All they did was cut them, and it cost just to repair five units, recharge them with refrigerant — all of that — they had to spend over $4,000 on that repair.”
According to the Montgomery Police Department, between July 28 and Aug. 4, thieves stole copper or entire air conditioning units from at least five businesses.
In addition to the damage to these five air conditioning units on Office Park Circle, on July 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., copper was stolen from air conditioning units at a business in the 7900 block of Eastchase Parkway. A few days later, on July 30, at 12:15 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of E. Fourth Street for another theft report. In this case, the complainant reported that an air-conditioning unit had been removed by unknown individuals. On August 2, at 9:21 a.m., MPD investigated a theft in the 1200 block of S. Hull Street, where copper was reported missing from air-conditioning units. On August 4, at 11:30 a.m., officers were called to the 3500 block of Midtown Oaks Apartments after air conditioning units were discovered stolen from the property. According to MPD, at this point these investigations remain ongoing.
“It seems like it hits in spurts,” Lott said. “We’ll have a couple months where we don’t see any, and then we’ll have a couple months like here recently. In the last two or three weeks, it’s been a bunch.”
Copper theft can be costly for businesses because the value of the stolen metal is often far less than the cost of repairing the damage. Thieves may receive between $15-$60 for copper taken from an air conditioning unit, while businesses can face thousands of dollars in repair or replacement costs.
“It’s bad for the people that have the buildings, it’s bad for the insurance companies because they’re having to pay for it,” Lott said. “I mean, it’s bad all the way around.”
Lott said security measures such as fences and cages do not always stop thieves. At a former O’Reilly Auto Parts building, he said thieves squeezed through a gate after replacement units were installed and cut three more units.
He also recalled a church where thieves caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Lott said thieves sometimes steal U-Haul trucks to transport multiple stolen air conditioning units at a time.
Moore believes increased police patrols could help deter the thefts.
“If you don’t have the officers to patrol, the city crime is going to increase,” Moore said. “So I feel with more patrols, more police presence, maybe these types of incidents don’t happen.”
Lott recommends businesses install security cameras and bright lighting. He also advises owners of vacant office buildings to make the properties appear occupied to discourage thieves from targeting them.
