Ecorse, Mich., mayor's air conditioning unit stolen twice in 7 months

ECORSE, Mich., July 29 (UPI) -- The mayor of a struggling Michigan city said cuts to the police department are partly to blame for his air conditioning unit being stolen twice this year.

Darcel Brown, mayor of Ecorse, a city of 10,000 people 15 miles south of Detroit, said he awoke to a knocking sound Sunday night and went to the window where he saw his central air conditioning unit loaded onto a pickup. Brown called police who he said arrived quickly.

The mayor joined officers in his own vehicle to search for the suspects. The truck was located in an alley but no arrests were made, The Detroit News reported Monday. The AC unit was being held temporarily as evidence in the case.

Brown also had his AC unit stolen in January.

Ecorse, under the control of an emergency manager, has seen severe cuts to public services, including the city's police force. Brown said the brazenness thieves displayed in twice stealing the mayor's air conditioning unit is a result of those cuts.

"Before our money problems, we would have four or five officers on the streets at night, but now we only have two plus one desk officer for a city of 10,000," he said. "We're telling the emergency manager and the state that we need help."