Small construction co. thanks Redmond Police for recovering stolen trailer, tools, likely saving 7 jobs, business

Police said company did much right, with good inventory, security cameras

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Washington construction business working on a Redmond project is thanking police for saving jobs -- and possibly their business.

Workers on a CNC job site arrived on Jan. 8 to find their construction trailer had been stolen, containing all of their tools, safety gear and some construction materials.

After a report was filed, Redmond police found the trailer in less than four hours. But it was severely damaged, and most of the tools were missing.

CNC project management representative Cory Fletcher said, “The initial gut punch of when you realize the trailer is missing-- and then immediately you realize what's in the trailer, which is literally 100% of this company's tools.

"This theft is absolutely, catastrophically devastating to any company my size. And it only takes one of these to sink a company and negatively affect seven families.”

Redmond police kept the case open and kept looking for the missing tools. On Tuesday, they raided a homeless camp on BLM land east of Redmond and recovered $50,000 worth of stolen items, along with an Airsoft gun that looked like an AK-47 and a magazine with real AK-47 ammunition. Police credit tips from the community, and cooperative witnesses.

Redmond Police Patrol Officer Ryann Van der Zwiep said the business did much right. One key was that the property owners took “really great inventory” before the items were stolen. They also had security cameras set up around the property. Both were key to the successful outcome.

Fletcher, in turn, praised police: “What they did was, to the average layman -- that's what they expect. The reality is, they went above and beyond what most departments are even capable of doing.”

CNC Construction said police recovered roughly 60% of the items that were stolen. Their trailer sustained a lot of damage, but the tools’ return makes a world of difference to a small business.