- November 18, 2024
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City officials and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office remain in the dark as to who’s behind a rash of larcenies of more than $20,000 worth of solar panel equipment and other power fixtures from areas around Palm Coast. The crimes date back to November.
“We just can’t keep anything anymore,” Palm Coast landscape architect Bill Butler said. “The vandals are robbing us blind, and it’s frustrating.”
“I think it was an opportunity,” said Cmdr. Mark Carman, Palm Coast liaison with the Sheriff’s Office. “Some of these places are intersections that, during the middle of the night, aren’t well travelled.”
Locations hit include a highway sign off State Road 100 at Ramp Road and the intersection of Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway.
According to case reports, the equipment stolen includes one 6-foot solar panel with attached clock and batteries, one Helios solar panel, a Master Series transformer and case spotlights.
The city won’t be replacing any of the stolen equipment until it develops an effective solution or deterrent to the vandalism, Butler said. The first missing solar panel was discovered in November, but the vandals have been especially active over past few weeks.
Carman said city officials and the Sheriff’s Office will rely upon video surveillance as a deterrent at locations that still house solar panels. Additionally, Carman is working with the department’s “Pawn Division” to monitor where the stolen goods might eventually be sold.
“They’re not going to sell them at pawn shops,” Carman said. “It’s going to be a dealership probably that takes the recyclable stuff. They’re just doing it for the money.”
The thefts are under investigation, but, without forensic evidence to work with, deputies are still looking for a break in the case.
“We’re trying to do our due diligence putting extra patrols out, and we’re trying to catch these guys,” Carman said.
