Thieves stooped to a new low in Schoharie last week, burglarizing Schoharie Recovery and a church parish house as well as several flood-stricken homes.
And in an effort to catch the burglars, Schoharie Police are asking for the public's help and a victim is offering a $1,000 reward.
Items stolen included tools, TVs, a computer and other equipment--most of it intended to help Schoharie continue its comeback from Irene.
"Obviously it must be someone worse off than we are to be stealing," said Josh DeBartolo of Schoharie Recovery.
"But at the same time, that's no justification. It hurts. It takes the wind out of our sails."
Heritage House, which is the parish house for Schoharie Reformed Church, was burglarized Thursday night. Schoharie Recovery's main office, right next door, was burglarized then, too, as were two Recovery sheds.
Thieves took two flat-screen TVs, a 42-inch and 26-inch, from Heritage House and a laptop computer from Schoharie Recovery.
"That's the computer we use to keep track of our work around the village," Mr. DeBartolo said.
They also took a new donated air conditioner from one of the Recovery sheds.
Burglars hit a Fair Street home owned by Larry Kern and his family Tuesday night. Stolen were a Milwaukee right-angle drill, a DeWalt 20 volt battery-operated drill, a Husqvarna chain saw and ceramic floor tiles, said Mr. Kern, who had been restoring the home after Irene.
He valued the items at $1,000, and that's the reward he's offering for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves.
"We had no insurance on this," Mr. Kern said, "so all this is a loss. It's not like we're getting money back from insurance."
He hadn't thought about the possibility of being burglarized.
"This stuff happens," Mr. Kern said. "People are desperate and have no other recourse. I don't know. . ."
Another house was burglarized, and a different homeowner had tools taken from the back of his pick-up, Mr. DeBartolo said.
Schoharie Police have been combing the streets but have had little luck, said Sergeant Robert Coons.
"We've been putting in a lot of our own time on this, off the clock, but people know our personal vehicles as well as the police cars," he said. "They can just slip behind bushes or in a garden.
"It just seems like someone is out there browsing in the wee hours of the morning."
While Sergeant Coons called in the Sheriff's Office and State Police for help, he's also asking for a hand from the public--and for people to be on guard.
"We want people to be more attentive," he said. "See what's going on. If you see a suspicious vehicle, grab a plate number. We just need help."
Although the thefts hurt, they don't take away from what Schoharie Recovery and thousands of volunteers have accomplished in flood relief, Mr. DeBartolo said.
"We try to look at the bright side," he said. "Twenty thousand volunteers have spread a lot of good here, and a few bad apples aren't going to affect that."
Still, they want the thieves caught.
Anyone with information should contact the Sheriff's Office dispatcher at 295-8114.