San Diego Gas & Electric and Crime Stoppers have joined together to offer rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest of copper thieves in San Diego.
I’m going to skip the numerous police-as-coppers puns that are swimming through my head and get straight to the point.
For the last few years, the price of copper and other heavy metals has been escalating wildly. That rise has led to an increase in the theft of copper.
According to Crime Stoppers, the copper thefts have resulted in blackouts in Fresno and the electrocution death of a man who was cutting a live wire in Detroit.
Here’s why SDG&E is getting so upset:
SDG&E has experienced numerous copper thefts over the past year. These thefts cost the company money — the repair costs greatly outweigh the value of the stolen wire. More importantly, the thefts also create significant safety hazards. In many cases, the stolen wire provides the ground for the electrical facilities that have been burglarized. Workers could easily be electrocuted just entering their work site.
Anyone with information on the identity or location of these suspects should call the Crime Stoppers anonymous toll-free tip line at (888) 580-TIPS. All calls to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous.