Vandalism Keeps Glass Companies Busy

Police have said windows in many businesses, vehicles and some residences were damaged after what is believed to be a BB gun was fired from a passing vehicle. Employees at Martinsville Glass starting receiving calls when the business opened at 7 a.m., according to Rhonda Hopkins, office manager, who handles the calls for damaged vehicles. By mid-morning, Hopkins said she had answered calls from the owners of 15 to 20 vehicles that had broken windows. Mainly the reports were of “all vans and all side glasses” of those vans, Hopkins said. Don Wright, who is the commercial project manager for Martinsville Glass, said he responded to 10 calls from businesses that were damaged. The reports were scattered, with “some calls up through Collinsville, Brookdale Street, Church Street, Chatham Heights, just all over,” Wright said. Hopkins said work crews were trying to get the repairs done before it rained, but it was not likely all work would be completed on Friday. “We can’t do it all in one day,” Wright said, adding that much of the glass had to be specially ordered.Delivery time varies, depending on the type of glass needed, but typically is one to two weeks.
 
Still, crews were working as quickly as possible, and “we’re replacing what we can,” Wright said.
 
Daniel’s Auto Glass had 12 calls from businesses/commerical property and 21 for vehicles by mid-morning Friday, according to Daniel Hanks, owner.
 
Replacing the damaged glass will keep crews busy for the next several days, he added.
 
National Glass received one call to its emergency line around 11 p.m. Thursday, according to owner Chris Belton.
 
There were no other calls until the steady stream began about 7:30 a.m. Friday, Belton said.
 
The majority of his calls were from businesses, where the cost of installing new windows varies, he said.
 
It is not uncommon for large plate glass — such as those used in businesses — to cost between $500 and $1,000, he said.
 
Anyone with any information of the shooting incidents is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 638-8751, the Martinsville Police Department at 403-5600 or Crime Stoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463).
 
Rewards of up to $1,000 are available through Crime Stoppers for information related to unsolved crimes. The amount of any reward is determined by the nature of the crime and the substance of information provided.