Sean C. Morgan
Police are investigating a recent string of copper thefts and asking for the public’s help.
“We’re having a series of thefts involving wire that started shortly before Christmas,” Police Chief Bob Burford said. “A lot of it’s from industrial sites. Down at the old Clear Lumber site, for example, has been extensively stripped of wire.”
Several businesses also have reported thefts with at least one active business, K Pump Service, reporting a theft of two partial rolls of new wire off of a truck last week.
Mostly, the thief or thieves are working in areas where they won’t be seen easily, old industrial sites, for example.
At least four thefts have been at the old Clear Lumber site, including one where the thief or thieves were up on a pole stripping wire from power poles.
From Jan. 11, police are investigating a site where the fire department held a “burn to learn.” Before the house was cleaned up, people had gone through and stripped wire from the debris.
After steeling the wire, the casing or insulation must be removed or burned off. Public Works has been reporting finding evidence of it, debris thrown down manholes.
“What we’d ask is for citizens to help be the eyes and ears,” Chief Burford said. “If you see people that appear to be steeling wire, report it. Even if the activity is not criminal, there’s no harm.”
About 15 years ago, this became a problem in Linn County, and a couple of thieves have been killed since then while pulling wires down and touching them to live wires, Chief Burford said.
The cost of the crime to property owners can be staggering, Chief Burford said. To put buildings back into operation, it can require rewiring the building.
Crimes related to the thefts include entering a structure, which is burglary and a felony. Once the value of the theft reaches $750, the theft becomes a felony. The replacement cost of the wire can be counted in that figure versus using what the thief gets for selling the wire. Other charges may include criminal mischief, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle at K and possession of stolen goods.
Metals dealers are required to keep records of persons selling scrap, Chief Burford said, “and I’m sure that’s part of our investigation.”
“We’d like to get a handle on it before there are more victims,” Chief Burford said.