San Jose police apprehended suspects involved in stealing copper wire, highlighting a national rise in metal theft linked to the pandemic. The male suspect was caught hiding after cutting above-ground lines, while a female accomplice prepared to assist. The issue spans decades, with rising theft rates impacting vital infrastructure and services. High demand for metals encourages thieves to target public utilities, risking not only service disruptions but also lives, including instances of electrocution. The severity of the crime underlines the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures against such thefts.
According to the New York Times and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, metal theft has been an urban plague for decades, but it's been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic due to a number of factors, including a soaring demand for metals.
Thieves are known to strip copper wire out of phone lines or streetlights and sell it to scrap metal recyclers for cash.
Copper theft cuts deeper than cables, the police press release said. It endangers lives, cripples essential services, and carries serious criminal consequences.
Past thefts have caused websites for California state agencies to go offline and disabled the approach lighting for a runway at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
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