They snuffed out almost a dozen light poles along a mile of highway between 1000 North and 1800 North, toward the outer limits of Salt Lake City. The missing coiled wire will cost between $50,000 and $60,000 to replace, officials say.
In return for this massive destruction the thieves may have received "between $5,200 and $9,000[.]" IOW, it's really hard to find amore despicable property crime than copper theft, given the massive damage the thieves do compared to the small gain they receive.
... in the median of I-15 in Salt Lake. Crazy.
Are there any laws against dealers buying back large, questionable quantities of copper, which may be clearly stolen?
Actually, stolen copper sells for ten times or more what’s its worth on the black market.
For copper thieves, its a low risk, high profit crime. Its a metal in high demand.
I really suspect the veracity of such reporting. If it really was “coiled wire”, then it was not in place and being used. Also, most if not all transmission lines use aluminum wire, not copper. Poor reporting as usual.
Copper is a major component of many things:Ammunition is one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How long will it be before background checks are needed to sell scrap copper?
I have to admit to a certain level of admiration to so brazen a thief as to steal 6 miles of wire. Years ago in a small town in England, a road crew came and removed 1/2 mile of copper based cobblestone road telling the locals they were repaving the road. THey had orange truck, barrels and even guys leaning on shovels.
The neighbors didn’t suspect a thing until a couple days later when the repaving crew never showed up.
Railroad steel is vulnerable too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGivL32FazM