HOUSTON -- Investigators asked the public for help Wednesday to solve a rash of copper thefts across Houston, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Houston police said thieves have targeted air conditioners at churches.

True Light Missionary Baptist Church on North Main Street was burglarized three times in one month.

Detectives said the thieves tried to cut through locks on cages that surround the church's air conditioners. When that was not successful, they jumped on top of the cage and cut through wires, officials said.

The thieves were after copper wire and tubing in the air conditioners, police said.

"We had to get more security around these cages," Rev. John Bowie said. "There is no traffic back here. People can come back here and work and not be stopped."

The thefts have cost the church thousands of dollars and Bowie said he no longer feels safe.

Other Heights-area churches have experienced similar burglaries.

"I don't want to use the word rape, but it's very personal when somebody do something like that," Deacon Curtis Henderson. "You want to get them, and yet you want to also try and help them."

Tips are needed to put the thefts to an end.

"People know who's doing this," Councilman Adrian Garcia said. "People are talking about it. We need you to talk to us about those people so we can shut this problem down immediately."

A new ordinance that goes into effect in September will require that anybody who sells copper to scrap yards be licensed and have their fingerprints on file.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.