Burglar steals copper from Boys & Girls Club in Macon, leaving building with no A/C, heat

The Boys & Girls Club in Macon has been forced to close after a thief allegedly burglarized and damage the facility, leaving it without any heat or air conditioning.

Phillip Bryant, CEO of The Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia, said Wednesday that an unknown perpetrator scaled the roof of the Carl D. Thomas club on Bloomfield Road and stole copper and coils from nearly all of the air conditioning units.

While Bryant said the organization isn’t exactly sure when the burglary happened, a maintenance worker noticed the air conditioning wasn’t working properly. The employee contacted the Bibb County School District, which owns the property, on Aug. 26. The school district told The Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia that it was aware of the burglary, but did not disclose to the group when it had happened, the group said.

The units must be replaced and secured to prevent future burglaries, which is estimated to cost more than $1 million. Bryant said that the building’s insurance does not cover external damages, and the cost is beyond the organization’s financial means. As a result, the facility will be closed indefinitely.

The Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia said in an email that the property has had issues with burglaries and vandalism in the past. The organization installed security cameras in hopes of curbing the problem.

Bryant said the burglary and subsequent closure of the club will have deep ramifications for the community. The Boys & Girls Club provides a place for children to go after school ends, and gives them a free snack and hot dinner each day. Many kids the organization serves live in poverty, and may not get another meal when they go home. The Carl D. Thomas facility serves around 65 children each day.

“It’s sad that the perpetrator has no care for the community, for the kids,” Bryant said. “It’s disappointing that someone would do this.”

Bryant said the organization is talking to community organizations about temporarily relocating so they can continue to provide services, but so far has no concrete plans. The Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia is also calling on local businesses and residents to consider giving money to help cover the cost of repairs.

This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 3:11 PM.