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As copper thefts continue to increase, police agencies, prosecutors and scrap metal dealers are joining together to eliminate the criminals' cash flow.
The first ever Utah Metals Theft Conference was held at the Salt Lake City Police Department's Pioneer Precinct all day today.
Police departments throughout Utah, as well as scrap metal dealers and recyclers, attended to learn how big the problem is, how to identify potential criminals and to be educated on what the new laws are.
Mark Lewon, the vice president of operations for Utah Metal Works, says he couldn't wait for today's conference. "This thing here is the greatest because it gives me access to the guys I need to know," said Lewon. "Now I know who to talk to and, better yet, they know who to come to on our end."
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank started the conference by calling metal theft one of the primary problems for police departments across the county.
Burbank says the police response for such a growing problem would be to "throw more police officers at it," but he admitted with metal theft, the problems would just continue.
The price of copper and other metals usually dictate the amount of thefts.
Prices for such metals have tripled in the past five years but have sharply decreased in the past three months.
However, Ralph Ley, the protective security adviser for the Department of Homeland Security, says even with prices down, thieves just steal twice as more copper to make up for the lower prices.
Copper wiring seems to be the most popular item stolen and sold to scrap dealers. Thieves take copper from construction sites, foreclosed homes and even wiring to city lamp posts and lights.
Thieves are also stealing catalytic converters from cars for precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.
A catalytic converter can sell for $20 to $200 a unit.
Murray City police Detective Tyler Evans says his office is working on a program with Larry H. Miller Toyota to put tags on catalytic converters to easily track them if they are stolen. So far, 500 tags have been ordered.
Other common locations for copper theft include cell phone towers, railroad lines and farming equipment for irrigation.
According to Ley, repairing and replacing metal theft from energy sites, such as electrical substations, has cost $1 billion.
Utah is one of 35 states with legislation against metals theft. The FBI is even considering federal charges for thieves. However, prosecuting such crimes can be difficult. Often, a thief steals metal in one city and sells it at a recycler or scrap yard in another city.
Conferences, like the one held in Salt Lake City today, are a way for recyclers to come together with police departments to deal with these types of crimes.
One big tool for police is to educate dealers. Pictures were passed out showing different types of copper wire, such as the difference between a 25 pound spool of #2/0 CU 7-strand wire, to a 25 pound spool of #4 CU soft-drawn wire.
Examples of different types of wires were also shown.
Qwest Communications also shared an example of what the markings on their wires represent.
Police agencies have been able to identify three different groups of thieves: drug addicts, inside jobs and organized crime rings or gangs.
Drug addicts are looking for easy targets to get a quick buck for their drug a habit.
Inside jobs can be contractors or security guards at a construction site who have knowledge of where the high-dollar metals are. They know when and where to hit. Some inside jobs are to supply another subcontractor at another site at no cost.
Organized crime rings or gangs go after the big ticket items and travel throughout a region to steal and sell the items.
Lewon hopes by having an open line of communications, companies like his can be more aware of what's being stolen and how to identify it if it comes into his shop.
"If we're ready to go for the next big cycle," says Lewon, "then hey, we're miles ahead."
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
