Thefts Rise With Copper Prices

Oregon Caves National Monument supervisor Craig Ackerman shows copper cable similar to that stolen from the park. (By Jeff Barnard -- Associated Press)

In Chevy Chase, copper downspouts and gutters are popular items for thieves.

So far this year, the number of burglaries has jumped 18 percent across the District, and investigators attribute that in part to an increase of thefts at construction sites. In Capitol Hill, where many homes are under renovation, copper wiring and piping sometimes disappears after dark.

During the last two weeks, copper thieves have hit construction sites in Germantown, Clarksburg and Potomac.

Copper thefts has prompted some states to introduce legislation increasing criminal penalties for thieves and for dealers who buy stolen copper. In South Carolina, 10 years' jail time could result from causing $5,000 worth of damage while stealing copper. Missouri is considering a bill that could impose jail time for scrap dealers who buy manhole covers, and a misdemeanor for dealers buying beer kegs from sources other than breweries. In Florida, copper theft would become a first-degree felony.

Thirty-five states now have laws on the books or in the works requiring copper dealers to record identification for copper sales above a certain value, according to ISRI spokesman Bruce Savage. The industry group opposes such legislation, preferring voluntary initiatives including a national theft-notification network.

The increased scrutiny on scrap copper has led to the emergence of middlemen: -- dealers with seemingly legitimate sources of copper who buy stolen goods at less than a dollar a pound and resell it to scrap yards. DTE Energy in Michigan offers a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of copper thieves, and $2,500 for tips leading to the arrest of these middlemen. Lynch said the company paid about $20,000 in rewards in 2007.

Fusselman noted that brand-new copper pipes and spools of wire usually raise suspicions, but he noted that it is almost impossible to distinguish between copper looted from a building and legitimate byproducts of rehabbing. The foreclosure crisis has also provided ripe ground for copper thieves.

"You could have taken copper previously and gotten a little money for it," he said. "Now you're actually making a significant return. It's simple economics."

Staff writers Allison Klein in Washington and Dan Morse in Montgomery County contributed to this report.