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Politics & Government

Here Today, Copper Gone Tomorrow

Ameren urging residents to report copper theft. The City of Hazelwood is seeing a boost in the growing pandemic of copper theft, forcing it to change the way it manages vacant housing.

Throughout the nation and here locally, copper thefts are continuing to rise. So much so that in a New York Times article, the FBI referred to them as "a threat to the nation's baseline ability to function." The Department of Energy estimates copper thefts cost the nation almost $1 billion per year, according to the Coalition Against Copper Theft.

Aside from the financial losses due to metal theft, there are the loss of lives from electrocution, the loss of power causing blackouts, and the loss of telephone service. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)  estimates the number of minutes of outage experienced by utilities nationwide to be 456,210 according to their "Copper Theft Baseline Survey of Utilities." 

From densely populated areas to the scarcest, most rural areas, no place is safe from copper thieves. In St. Louis alone, scrap metal theft accounts for 23 percent of all burglaries and cost residents and property owners $4.7 million in 2010, according to a KSDK report.

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Currently, salvage yards are paying $4 and up per pound for scrap copper, thus making it a lucrative commodity.

Thieves are stealing copper from catalytic converters, tornado warning sirens, coal mines, overhead power lines, and pipes and downspouts from homes-both occupied and foreclosed.

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The latter is a concern that . With a 5.7 percent vacant housing population, the topic was highly relevant. Ward 1 Councilwoman Carol Stroker was  worried criminals were being attracted by the orange, vacant housing stickers the city affixes to doors.

"If you only knew how much copper has been stolen from the City of Hazelwood. It would blow your mind," Stroker said at the meeting. The council considered replacing the "orange flags" with an infraction notice, but coupled with the additional paperwork from the bank that gets posted to the door, it seems more would have to be tweaked to fully eliminate the problem.

The thefts are not just happening to vacant homes either. On May 1, the responded to a call of copper theft in the 12000 block of Missouri Bottom Road. Thieves cut and removed more than 100 feet of copper wire from a cellular phone service tower. 

Commscope, a communications networks infrastructure specialist, has been working on copper alternatives such as Heliax FXL-a radio frequency transmission line cable; tin-plated grounding bars and kits, and copper clad aluminum, all in the hopes that copper thieves will realize the products won't net them any money.

In the spirit of trying to deter metal thefts, representatives from scrap businesses, the city, law enforcement agencies, the courts, utilities, and a railroad all gathered in March at what was known as the Copper Summit Meeting, to deliberate on the best ways to stop the thefts.

Current law allows scrap dealers to pay amounts under $500.00 in cash and by doing so, allows thieves to make quick cash to line their pockets.

Many at the meeting argued the best deterrent would be to no longer pay cash amounts for scrap, but to mail out paper checks to contributors. Scrap yard reps say the only problem with that is some of their clients are less fortunate and don't have addresses. 

The Coalition Against Copper Theft, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group made up of America's leading trade associations, also feels the cash payments are a big part of the widespread outbreak of copper theft. Its main priorities are to educate the public about what copper theft looks like, and to ensure the passage of federal legislation regulating donor documentation.

This month Ameren Missouri issued a statement warning of the dangers of copper theft. The company urges the public to pay closer attention to their properties.

"At Ameren UE, safety is our top priority," said Lisa Manzo, an Ameren communications representative. "Stealing copper compromises everyone's safety--our customers, our workers and the thieves."

If interested in helping to stop the thefts, join Crimestoppers USA's Copper Theft Program to form a committee to initiate behavior change, deter metal theft, and encourage people to anonymously report thieves and recipients of stolen metal.  

The company recommends the following steps as the best defense against copper theft:

  • If you have information about a copper theft, report it immediately to police or your local Crime Stoppers, which is an organization that offers rewards but does not ask for the person's name who is leaving the tip.
  • Immediately report to the police any suspicious activity near Ameren utility electric substations or other utility facilities.
  • When away from home, make certain your house and outbuildings are securely locked.
  • If you will be gone away from home for an extended period of time, notify the police, and have a trusted friend or neighbor watch your property.
  • Put your indoor lights on timed devices to give the home a "lived in" look and stop mail, newspaper and other deliveries when going on vacation.
  • Both homeowners and businesses should consider installing exterior motion-sensor lights that help deter thieves and prowlers.
  • Store all tools and wire cutters in a secured location.
  • Store all materials containing copper in a secured building.
  • Secure construction sites. Consider hiring a night security guard.

 

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