A downtown Windsor arts centre wants to see better policies to address copper thefts after vandals caused a flood at their property. Amanda Gallman is the chair of the board for the Windsor Centre for Film, Digital Media, and the Creative Arts, located at 664 Victoria Ave. On Tuesday night, she said their grass cutter noticed the glass in the building’s back door had been shattered, and the door left propped open. He immediately called 911. “So, I didn’t think there was much damage. Then we came downstairs, and there’s about 4000 square feet downstairs, and it was under about 2 or 3 inches of water,” she said. Videos show massive pools of water covering the centre’s basement floors. Gallman said they’re unsure about when the thieves broke in but suspect it happened either Sunday or Monday.“ They came in to take the copper, but when they cut the pipes, the water started to spurt out everywhere,” she said. Thieves often target metals like copper to sell for quick cash. Gallman said she is in the process of filing a police report. Our newsroom has reached out to the Windsor Police Service for comment. In the immediate moments after seeing the damage, Gallman said she was “mad,” knowing the challenges of copper theft have been rampant in Windsor. “I don’t understand why the buyer of the copper can’t be stopped. Like, I know this happens everywhere and that it happened here was bad, but that it’s still happening is bad,” she said. “It needs to be stopped, and I’m not sure how to do that, but it needs to be stopped.” Near one closet labelled for equipment, thieves appear to have smashed through the wall to check for any valuable tools or gear. It’s the second time thieves have targeted the property, but they’re unsure if the two incidents are linked. Previous incidents resulted in damage to most of their security system, so the latest break-in was not captured on camera. “This time they came back with more equipment. They had a sledgehammer to beat the door in,” Gallman said, adding, “It almost seemed like they’d been in the building before.” In the day since they discovered the damage, Gallman and volunteers have worked nearly around the clock to restore the property. Suited up in rubber boots, she said the team managed to vacuum up all the water from the floor and will now wait to assess whether they need to be replaced. The centre teaches kids and unemployed or underemployed adults and seniors aspects of filmmaking, costume design, photography, and other forms of art. Gallman said it’s unfortunate to see people target an organization that only wants to help. “We have served well over 1000, youth locally through our programming, and that’s our number one target audience, so to be doing this to an organization that serves kids, especially a charity that serves kids, is just not okay.” As part of her search to see change in policy, Gallman noted she had reached out to many candidates in the upcoming municipal election to share her concerns.
