Tuesday, March 18, 2008
"Scavenger" Thefts
I was reading the local paper today and there were two separate incidents involving the theft of metal products for salvage in the police report.People are stealing copper wire,aluminum,practically any valuable metal to be had and redeeming it at salvage companies,or at least attempting to.I have heard of idiots trying to steal highway guardrails and plumbing from peoples homes for cash,but a group of criminals in Delmar actually plotted to steal railroad tracks!Similar crimes are occuring more often all over the country and it begs the question-is the rise in recyclable metal thefts a result of the depressed economy?Is it substance abuse or gambling debts that inspire people to do this?Some thieves risk their lives by stealing copper from utility stations,a good way to get a lethal shock.Is it worth it?
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2 comments:
I don't believe substance abuse has everything to do with it. Scrap metal is "free money" to most people. Times are hard and people are desperate. Until the economy changes, people better start putting locking bars on their crawlspaces.
I work for a home builder and yes, we have had copper stolen from a house. So I have seen the victim side of it. Scrap yards are getting wiser now too. If a company work truck pulls in there to unload metal, most time they will call the company to see if it was authorized. This is not a new kind of theft scams, there is just more of it now. Sad but true.
Its terrible-I bet alot of construction sites are targeted and its good that contractors are aware of the problem.
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