Criminals are seldom below trying to make some quick money from their crimes. With the number of abandoned homes on the rise, the copper wire and air conditioning units left behind at these homes have become easy pickings.

Recently, The Covington News has reported that these thieves have now become so emboldened that they will steal from occupied homes and operating businesses.

Our local law enforcement is hot on the case. The Newton County Sheriff's Office and the Covington Police Department are currently ironing out the final details in a new Heavy Metal Task Force - touting beefed up patrols and increased cooperation between agencies.

We hope Chief Cotton and Sheriff Brown are able to work with their respective agencies to get this force mobilized to catch the perpetrators of these crimes, and we hope when caught they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.