Copper Theft
From San Antonio to Amarillo, Tyler to Beaumont, Fort Worth to Lubbock, no community is safe from copper thieves. Across Texas, Boys and Girls Clubs, Meals on Wheels, oil fields, neighborhoods, churches, schools, and construction sites have all been affected by copper theft. Every Texan can do their part to stop copper thieves.
September 13, 2011
SHERMAN, TX–There’s a new Texas law to crack down on Copper theft. Lawmakers passed it to protect the property of homeowners and utility companies.
Customers are now required to provide documentation when bringing A/C units or other copper materials to a scrap yard.
Homeowners must show a proof of purchase or other paperwork to prove that a central heating or air conditioning unit is theirs.
License air-conditioning professionals are also authorized to recycle copper.
“The whole purpose of this law is to curb theft and to try to eliminate some of that, which we feel is a good thing,” James Reed said, 82 Metal Recyclers manager “Obviously, we don’t want to buy anything that’s stolen. Hopefully this helps law enforcement crack down on some of these people who have been taking this air conditioners and putting people out of pocket–or their insurance company–or what have you”
Metal recyclers must keep an item for 72 hours to five days from the date of purchase. Texas Senate Bill 694 has been in effect since September 1st.
Jen French, KTEN News
San Antonio Express-News
Express-News Editorial Board
Enforcement of a new state law aimed at cutting down on the sale of stolen scrap metal can’t come soon enough.
Copper thieves are a growing menace in the state and need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, along with the scrap-metal dealers who knowingly purchase stolen goods.
Copper thieves cost CPS Energy ratepayers in Bexar County $1 million last year and the number of reported copper thefts are on the rise for the first part of this year. CPS officials say the utility suffers at least one copper theft a week. During one 29-hour period last month it recorded four such thefts, the Express-News reported. Read the full article on the San Antonio Express News web site
The Eagle – When Kenneth Hamilton got started in the scrap metal business 25 years ago, copper sold for around 35 cents a pound.
On Wednesday, copper finished at $2.97 per pound on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to Reuters.
The high prices have led to a nationwide rise in copper theft.
“Just in the last three or four years, when prices have been real high, have we seen people stealing it and trying to sell it,” Hamilton said.
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