Why is copper stolen

Maybe things aren't quite as bad as they were in , but unemployment is still an issue. The U. When the economy isn't good, the construction industry generally suffers. Know who would be good at harvesting copper from things? Unemployed construction workers! Sociologists have always correlated the rise in temperature with an increase in crime. The reasoning is that we're more active when its warm, thus criminals are more likely to engage in crimes because it's easier to do so.

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C3 Metals. Copper Fox Metals. Getchell Gold. Pan Global Resources. Theft of copper pipes, tubing, and wiring has been on the rise in recent years due to the increased value for scrap copper. Construction sites, abandoned buildings, and commercial heating and air conditioning units have been the biggest targets for these thieves. More often than not the damage caused obtaining the copper vastly exceeds the value of the copper, but this does not deter the thieves.

Not only are business stuck having to repair or replace equipment stripped of copper, the damage often results in the loss of electricity, water, and heating or air conditioning resulting in the discontinuing of business until the repairs are completed. Understanding that copper theft is a very real problem is an important first step in protecting your community organization from copper theft, but there are more steps that can be taken to avoid this growing problem.

An easy and inexpensive way to deter copper thieves is to paint all copper components black. This causes the copper to look like regular, worthless plastic tubing that no one would waste the time to steal.

Areas containing items with copper in them are always a potential target, and depending on the value of the item, a fence may be worth the investment. The amount of copper in most commercial air conditioners is never worth a great amount, but the real cost comes from the destruction of the unit and the time it takes to replace it.

Installing an alarm system to protect copper from theft is a great way to deter potential thieves and to catch those who do. This is more dangerous than people think. And as long as the price of copper remains high enough for thieves to take their chances, the problem is not going away, said Spectrum Asset Management's Gurka.

Copper theft 'like an epidemic' sweeping US. Chris Ratcliffe Bloomberg Getty Images. Checking recycling yards show chapters. Read more : Why crude will keep cruising "The local police used to come maybe once a month, but now it's three or four times a month, looking for stolen copper," said Tom Buechel, owner of Rockaway Recycling, a scrap metal outlet in Rockaway, N.

Repair crews at risk of electrocution A major target for robbers has been the copper wiring in electrical power substations and utility poles.

Stopping theft unlikely To stem the the overwhelming tide of thefts, some utility companies like Westar are making power stations more physically secure, as well as taking other steps to make them less attractive to thieves even if they do break in.