Insurers See Copper Theft Toll
Published: May 7th, 2013 in: Copper TheftPlenty of electric cooperatives can tell you just how bad the copper theft problem is. Now, the insurance industry is backing that up. A new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau looks at metal theft claims... Read more
Dead Suspect in Co-op Substation
Published: April 29th, 2013 in: Copper TheftA trespasser in a co-op substation is dead, 50 pounds of copper are missing, and investigators are trying to piece it all together. The incident happened April 21 at a Berkeley Electric Cooperative substation in South Carolina.... Read more
Tip Nets Co-op Copper Suspect
Published: April 16th, 2013 in: Copper TheftThe first tip from a partnership aimed at reducing copper theft in South Carolina has paid off with an arrest. “A tipster called in [April 5] and knew of a man in Columbia who was in possession... Read more
Co-op Offers Reward to Catch Thief
Published: April 9th, 2013 in: Copper TheftA $3,000 reward is being offered in a copper theft that left thousands of electric cooperative members without power and stuck the co-op with a large bill. “The copper alone is not worth that much—we’re probably looking... Read more
Special Weapons to Fight Power Theft
Published: April 2nd, 2013 in: CrimeWhen it comes to fighting power theft and other utility crimes, Horry Electric Cooperative has an unfair advantage. Unfair for the bad guys, that is. “We have two employees who have a law enforcement commission. They are actually able to investigate a little bit deeper... Read more
NRECA Backs Federal Metal Theft Bill
Published: April 1st, 2013 in: Copper TheftCopper theft is a problem of such national scope that it has united NRECA, the Edison Electric Institute, and others in support of a U.S. Senate bill. The trade associations for electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities are... Read more
Dealer Cleared in Huge Copper Theft
Published: March 12th, 2013 in: Copper TheftJurors acquitted an Ohio scrap dealer of buying stolen copper wire in one of the biggest utility thefts on record. Dennis Johnson, 38, was cleared of charges of receiving stolen property and conspiracy to transport stolen goods... Read more
Your Co-op Vs. Copper Thieves
Published: March 4th, 2013 in: Copper TheftCopper theft won’t be going away. In fact, it could get even worse. “We’re all bracing for another rise in copper prices, followed by a rise in copper theft,” said Maurice Martin, a program manager at NRECA’s... Read more
A Personal Interest in Copper Theft
Published: February 19th, 2013 in: Copper TheftThere’s one Washington state lawmaker with more than a passing interest in copper theft legislation. “One day after I agreed to sponsor this bill on behalf of the City of Federal Way, I too became a victim... Read more
Hero Foils Copper Theft Suspects
Published: January 28th, 2013 in: Copper TheftTwo copper theft suspects are under arrest, thanks in part to some quick action by a South Carolina co-op employee. Meanwhile, an Oklahoma co-op had to temporarily cut power after thieves hit a substation. And a Colorado... Read more