Copper thefts are on the rise, and as illustrated in the video below, thieves are willing to go to just about any length to get it – including actions that are extremely dangerous. According to the GPD‘s Public Information Officer Lt. Pedro Barineau, they are committing the crimes in broad daylight without regard to whether others see them.
Recently, a citizen called in a report of a theft in progress near Belt Line Road and Wagon Wheel. The caller said that a U-Haul truck was blocking a lane of traffic and individuals were cutting cable and loading it into the U-Haul. When the officers arrived at the scene, they saw a suspect loading copper into the truck, and another left the scene. Another suspect was driving the U-Haul, and they fled the scene. Officers soon caught the truck, arrested the driver and found the second suspect at a nearby convenience store. The third suspect was arrested the next day. In addition to the copper, one of the suspects had a firearm and two had narcotics. This theft totaled $10,000 – the cost of the copper plus damages.
In addition to committing these crimes in broad daylight, the video shows that some of the thieves are taking dangerous chances. They climb utility poles and even sit on utility service lines to cut the copper. They could easily be electrocuted if they make a mistake, and that has happened in other cities.
One thing that helps make them look official is that they often wear reflective vests and hard hats, so people wouldn’t necessarily report them. However, now that the public has become more aware, they are more likely to call the police. It’s important to note that if they are supposed to be doing any kind of work on utility lines, they should be in a clearly marked vehicle and be wearing readily identifiable uniforms.
The penalty for the crime depends on the value of the copper stolen plus the amount of damage they cause. The fine can be up to $10,000, along with jail time that can go as high as 99 years.
“But the biggest is by far utility poles…The extent that people will go to to steal copper is unbelievable,” Barineau said.
Thieves often try to sell copper is at recycling centers.
“The good thing is that we [GPD] have a great working relationship with so many of the recyclers, especially here in Garland. Most of these places require a federal ID and in addition to that, they actually have video surveillance inside their offices so we can often link the stolen copper to the location from which it was stolen,” Barineau said.
He stressed the importance of, “If you see something, say something.”
“The majority of arrests we make are because someone has reported the theft when it is happening, and police can get there while crime is in progress,” Barineau said. “We are asking members of the community to join forces with us and report these crimes when they see them.”