Construction company accuse police of inaction on construction site thefts

AUSTIN, Texas - Representatives from a construction company building in Austin are speaking out concerning a "crime wave" of thefts that have cost the company "hundreds of thousands of dollars." 

According to the Motivado Group, there have been 36 separate incidents of construction materials being stolen since January of 2019. "We have been begging for help daily, but the Mayor and Police Chief are simply not taking this seriously,” says Jon Standley of the Motivado Group. “This is a crime wave and these thefts are adding to the cost of building critically needed housing and office space in Austin.” 

According to Motivado Group, on at least three different thefts, surveillance video has been shared with police that identify the truck accused of taking the materials.

“Every time there is a major theft of construction materials in this city a different investigator is assigned. In 34 cases, 17 different investigators. Austin Police and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office are clearly not communicating,” says Wayne Dolcefino, the President of Houston-based investigative media consulting firm Dolcefino Consulting.

In one of the videos, an empty truck is seen coming into a construction site. Multiple suspects then use a forklift on site to load the truck with various bundles of construction material before they drive off. 

Even after the videos were shared with authorities no arrests have been made, according to the Motivado Group. They also stated that they have learned that suspects have been in handcuffs at least twice in the last year but received no charges. 

Motivado Group is holding a press conference on Thursday in hopes of what they say will get the authorities' attention. “It is time for the City of Austin to take this seriously,” says Standley. “If we do not get help soon, we will be forced to hire teams of armed guards with directions to protect life and property.”