International News - the Global threat of metal theft
Published on Tue 3 Jun 2008
USA: Utilities targeted by copper thieves
The Chief Security Officer of Michigan-based DTE Energy has reported that the company experienced more than 400 incidents of energised conductor theft during 2007, causing losses of well over $10 million in property and repair services. The situation has become so serious that the energy firm has set up a task force that holds weekly meetings with police. Task force members go door to door, talking to people, sharing information and raising awareness and carry out private patrols to detect people either stealing the wire or burning the sheathing off to get to the copper.
A reward system has been established, offering $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of a thief or $2,500 for information that leads to the arrest of anyone buying the copper illegally. "From an operational standpoint, copper theft is the most significant threat we have," the CSO said.
