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Copper wire thefts are becoming more than a nuisance. The FBI says they're rising to the level of national concerns.
Construction sites and power substations some-times fall victim. But in rural states like Utah, FBI Special Agent Juan Becerra says thefts can threaten communication and warning systems, even railways that span large distances.
Becerra says, "Let me give you an example. In Oklahoma, we had tornado warnings that did not go off in certain areas because somebody decided to take this copper."
The FBI says last year in Ohio, vandals removed 300 feet of copper wire from an FAA tower, threatening communications between planes in the air and air traffic controllers.
Nationally the FBI is defining this as a big problem. Locally the feds are participating in a working group made up of numerous police agencies and prosecutors, trying to get a handle on the issue.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
