PORTSMOUTH -- Police are investigating a copper theft from a school.

Spokeswoman Anne Hope says copper piping was removed from an air conditioning unit behind Portsmouth Catholic Elementary School at 2301 Oregon Avenue.

It happened in the overnight hours of June 26, according to police reports, but it was reported after being discovered Monday.

 “It’s more of an inconvenience. It creates down time and we can’t use the building until we get the AC working,” said principal Edward Williams.

He says a bible school in the new multi-purpose center had to be diverted to another site.

He hopes to have the system back in operation by the start of the school year, before Labor Day.

Williams said it’s the second time in three months that the school’s been hit by vandals.

“At first, they took coils from the compressor unit and then they came back to get the copper wiring,” he explained.

He hopes police soon catch the thieves.

If you know anything about this theft, call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

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