YUBA CITY–

Police say nine commercial air conditioning units have been stolen since January from mostly small businesses. Police are unsure if the units were taken for resale or stolen by metal thieves.

Air conditioning contractor Clinton Ormosen is a bit more certain.  He was giving an estimate for the replacement of a unit stolen from the Asul Massage studio on busy Colusa Avenue.

“They are stolen for the value of the copper and aluminum.  Metal prices have climbed steadily and it’s become a problem,” said Ormosen.

He says air conditioning units are usually hidden from view for aesthetic purposes — meaning thieves can work without being seen.

Police believe that business owners sometimes don’t realize that they’ve been victimized because they don’t turn on their units during the winter months.

“Often in these cases the owners weren’t even aware they were gone because they’re not using air conditioning during that time of year,” said Yuba City P0lice spokeswoman Shawna Pavey.

The units that were stolen are worth anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000, which police say is a hardship for small businesses struggling during a down economy.

Pavey says the theft problem is becoming more apparent now that the weather is heating up.  Police say they believe there are witnesses to the thefts, but that people often don’t question why equipment is being removed from businesses, sometimes at odd hours.

“It’s still not too late to come forward if they’ve seen something unusual,” said Pavey.