Well it's happening all over the county. In my Ohio hometown copper prices were as high as $3.00 per pound for used copper. Thieves have broken into repossessed or foreclosed houses and have stolen exposed copper plumbing from the basement rafters. In one case, friends of ours had recently purchased their home only to discover the next day that vandals had kicked in the side door, and stole the copper tubing used for plumbing. This act caused $1900.00 dollars in damages that had to be repaired. Luckily they were insured. In another local instance, copper downspouts and gutters have even been stolen from churches.
On the other side of the country In Portland, Oregon thieves had broken into a railroad repair facility were the last of two old Alco diesel locomotives were being refurbished and stole $35,000.00 worth of traction motor cables setting the whole project back weeks as well as crippling financial resources that had donated.
In many cases, the shop that buys this copper asks no questions, requires any identification or records the seller names. It is open season. Catch were you catch can. In poorer neighborhoods were a police force is stretched thin and everyone tends to mind their own business, crooks and steel without being confronted. New neighborhoods are not exempt as vandals rob constructions sites and carry away unlocked supplies.
What can we do?
Contact your local government; demanding new laws requiring salvage yard owners to record transactions of used copper as well as inspecting and recording the identification of the seller
Install surveillance cameras to capture images of people with the scrap metal they are selling, requiring scrap metal dealers to hold copper and aluminum for a period of time before touching it.
Eliminate cash payments altogether in favor of checks (which, although costlier, might deter criminals).
Encourage neighborhood watch groups to report suspicious activity.
K.
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