Electric Co-op Today

SMARR, Ga.—Thousands of people pass through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport every day, making it one of the world’s busiest. But copper thieves looking to make some quick cash don’t care.

Richard Alley, Verizon Wireless director of corporate security, holds a grounding bar for electrical current. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

Georgia Power was having “a huge problem” with thieves targeting a substation that feeds the entire airport. “I was getting hit two to three times a week,” said Jason Tutterow, corporate security investigator, adding that despite surveillance, there have been no arrests. And while the airport has a backup generator, it still is a major worry for the IOU.

Tutterow was among the stakeholders at “Metal Theft: Its Impact on the Safety and Security of First Responders and the Public.” The Oct. 28 session here, aimed at promoting Georgia’s new metals theft law, was organized by Georgia EMC, Tucker, and the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.

“It’s not as simple as a meth-head going in and cutting some grounds; there’s a bigger picture to it,” Tutterow said. “My goal is to mainly get law enforcement interested in taking these cases and running with it.”

Georgia Power now has what Tutterow called “marked wire.” On the outside there is a single, tin-coated wire. “We’re the only ones that have that,” he said. “The goal is that when that wire hits the recycler, that’s the first cue that there’s a problem.” The wire also has another unique security feature, which Electric Co-op Today agreed not to reveal.

Lee Swann, investigator for Georgia Transmission, Tucker, said the organization went from 120 theft cases last year—with a loss of $383,000—to four incidents so far this year, plus another four involving its contractors. “But we have seen a marked increase in just the last month or so,” Swann said. After a falloff, copper futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange have been rising since July, hitting a 52-week high of $3.0575 a pound on Oct. 26.

Tags: Copper Theft, Crime, Investor-Owned Utility, Statewides