Taylor NW says thousands worth of tools stolen from NW Bend job site

Offers $1,000 reward for info leading to conviction, return of equipment

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Central Oregon construction contractor claims thousands of dollars worth of equipment were stolen from its job site in northwest Bend. Now, the company is offering a reward to anyone who has information that leads to a conviction.

At 5 p.m. last Friday, Taylor Northwest employees locked up the construction van at its Discovery West job site near William E. Miller Elementary School, as they always do at the end of the day.

When they arrived on site Monday morning, the van’s doors were open, with several expensive tools missing, including generators, copper tubing and GPS equipment.

Lindsey Wenick, the Taylor NW safety director, told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday the cash value for the allegedly stolen items equates to around $7,500.

"We're employing 150 people so they can do their job,” Wenick said. “When something like this happens, they can't do their job. With that said, the company isn't making any money. So it just comes to a point that the people need the tools to do their job and do it correctly."

Wenick said Taylor NW has filed a police report.

NewsChannel 21 reached out to the Bend Police Department, and one officer said it’s not uncommon for equipment to be stolen from a construction site.

He advised anyone who has equipment, both personal and business, to either put their company logo on it or keep track of the serial numbers. That will help police identify where the missing equipment belongs.

As police investigate the incident, Wenick said Taylor NW will make some changes moving forward so this does not happen again.

The company plans on using a similar locking mechanism, but it’s going to find a lock that cannot simply be opened by a key, or something similar. Wenick said the company’s concern is someone may have picked the lock, and that's why they were able to access the van.

"We had four keys, and all four keys are accountable for,” Wenick said. “We're also going to park a piece of equipment in front of it. So even if they were able to cut the lock, pick the lock, they won't be able to open the doors with that piece of equipment right there."

The company is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who has information that leads to a conviction and the return of their equipment.