Thieves target lawn equipment, farm implements in Michigan

Authorities say commercial lawn equipment, farm implements and construction equipment are being targeted by thieves in Michigan.

State police Detective Sgt. Todd Petersen tells the Kalamazoo Gazette that dealerships, with large lots and sometime lax security, are frequent targets of theft in Three Rivers, Cass County, Coldwater and other areas along southern and southwestern Michigan.

Petersen says such equipment is valuable, easy to grab and difficult for authorities to trace.

Complicating the investigations, they say some dealerships don’t discover overnight or weekend thefts for hours or days.

Detective Lt. Russell Ammon of Michigan State Police Southwest Commercial Auto Recovery unit says thefts are sometimes discovered when people report suspicious purchases. When items are discovered to have been stolen, authorities return them to the original owner.  (AP)