The FBI today ratcheted up the clamor to do something more substantive about the monumental growth of copper theft in the US.
In a report issued today the FBI said the rising theft of the metal is threatening the critical infrastructure by targeting electrical substations, cellular towers, telephone land lines, railroads, water wells, construction sites, and vacant homes for lucrative profits.
Copper thefts from these targets have increased since 2006; and they are currently disrupting the flow of electricity, telecommunications, transportation, water supply, heating, and security and emergency services, and present a risk to both public safety and national security.
The agency cites a number of scary examples:
The FBI report shows that industry and local officials are taking countermeasures to help address the scrapper problem, but apparently much more needs to be done. For example, while a variety of physical and technological security measures have been taken there are limited resources available to enforce these laws, and a very small percentage of perpetrators are arrested and convicted. Additionally, as copper thefts are typically addressed as misdemeanors, those individuals convicted pay relatively low fines and serve short prison terms.
On the plus side some states such as California, Missouri and Arizona now require scrap metal dealers to thumbprint sellers, pay them by check, keep stringent records and report transactions to police, according to an Ithicajournal.com story. There is a federal bill that would mandate such background data on scrap dealers and a move to further involve the FBI in chasing down scrappers.
Copper theft is an epidemic crime across the nation and the world. Of course, not all criminals are the brightest bulbs; some have been killed or maimed pulling out live wires. Layer 8 reported last year that there was a growing movement by telecommunications vendors to offer rewards leading to the arrest of copper thieves. Since 2004, the price of copper has at times hit $4 a pound as demand grew in China, India and Brazil, experts say.
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This article is a little of of date...
"Since 2004, the price of copper has increased from 80 cents to close to $4 a pound as demand grows"
The price of copper appears to be headed back to the 80 cent mark.. it's around $1.50/lb now..
I have mixed feelings on this
The price will head back up again in the future, we are only having a temporary respite.
On one hand we definitely need much stiffer federal penalties because these thieves usually cross state lines.
But on the other hand, the majority of copper thefts are from foreclosed homes that are owned by banks, who are just sitting on them and not even trying to sell them. These banks are basically speculating - rather than selling their foreclosed homes for 10 or 20 cents on the dollar, and thus getting people back into these homes and thus helping to repair communities, the banks are just sitting on the properties, assuming that in 2-3 years the housing market will be hot again and they will be able to sell the homes at a profit.
The taxpayers paid out 700 billion to be given to banks so that banks could take the losses on these homes and get the housing market and economy restarted. Instead, the banks are taking the money then just sitting on the properties. My feeling is that the THREAT of copper theft and other damage to an empty home is a good thing in that it is an incentive to get these banks to get these properties sold, at whatever price the market will support.
My daughter recently
My daughter recently traveled by train from New York City to Albany, normally a two-hour trip, but it took four hours. The reason given was that trains have had to reduce speed because the roadside signals were inoperative due to stolen wires.
COPPER - tough to protect with traditional security solutions.
As a developer and manufacturer of asset security solutions for the protection and tracking of high value retail assets, we have been approached my a number of utility companies and manufacturers to adapt our unique technology for the protection of copper based assets. The companies approaching us were desperate to identify a viable solution that was capable of inconspicuous installation, ease of use, and the ability to remain dormant for long periods of time, without the need for battery replacement or maintenance.
Despite attempts of these asset owners to use traditional tracking solutions, the feasibility for this type of tracking technology to be used for this purpose is limited due to short operational life and frequent maintenance cycles caused by the device's continuous power demand. Engineering a security solution to protect copper assets, including transformers, spools of copper cable, or energized communication or transmission wires requires a purpose built technology that is designed to address the client's specific environment, and assets.
Effective protection solutions that effectively protect copper assets is based on a clear understanding of the clients objectives, policy, and properly designed technology. Merely mounting a tracking device on a spool of cable will provide little, if any, functional value.
The threat is real, and regardless of whether copper is trading lower as of late, does not mean that these assets are not vulnerable. The means to protect copper assets is available, but it does not come out of a box, and does not exist as a line item on someones price list. It must be designed to address each clients specific objectives.
Ryk
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