Copper tops list of targeted metal in thefts

Julie McCuiston of Sun City Summerlin reports that her neighbor’s house was recently burglarized.

"Luckily, she wasn’t home, and they only got a few items of value," McCuiston wrote in an email to View. "Unfortunately, they took something that is far more precious … My neighbor’s late husband was an organ donor, and she was presented with a beautiful bronze gift commemorating his precious gift of life … It is the only thing she said she valued that was stolen."

Metal theft is not new to the Las Vegas Valley. It has been a constant occurrence for years.

Sgt. E.P. Brown of the Metropolitan Police Department ‘s F inancial C rimes B ureau said records of metal thefts do not indicate the metal type but are reported by incident. From July to September 2011, there were 76 incidents with a total value of $735,000. He said that estimate may include replacement costs.

The price of copper has doubled in the last three years, driven by the emerging industrialization of China and India. It’s currently selling for about $3 a pound.

Brown said anyone can find the current price of metals by going online.

"A lot of people think they’re just random guys," Brown said. "I think they’re more intelligent than that. When copper prices are down, the theft activity decreases … There’s no incentive to steal if you’re not getting much money. When the price is up, it’s more worth the risk."

Churches and cemeteries also have been targeted . The bronze urns holding flowers at grave sites often are easy targets. A large cemetery in Las Vegas had roughly 600 vases stolen, Brown said. They were replaced with ones made from zinc, a much less valuable metal. But the thieves may find it hard to unload such items.

"Recycling companies really try to work with us to the extent that they won’t take vases and things like that," said Chrissie Coon, public information officer for the North Las Vegas Police Department.

She said commercial theft far outweighs residential theft, accounting for an estimated 70 percent of metal theft cases. Currently, the North Las Vegas Police Department is seeing a hike in the theft of water valves, also called backflow valves. It recorded 16 incidents in December alone.

The housing crunch is throwing a wrench into prosecuting the crimes, Coon said.

"One of the biggest hurdles we have is trying to prosecute these people," she said. "We can’t find a victim because the house is vacant, and the bank hasn’t taken responsibility of the house. If nobody comes forward as the victim, our hands are tied."

Keith Paul, spokesman for the Henderson Police Department, said it’s mostly copper that is stolen, usually from light poles. The department had 98 incidents in 2011: air conditioners (for copper parts) accounted for 28 incidents; copper pipe, three ; copper wire, 55; manhole covers, two ; and other metals, 10.

While many instances see businesses targeted, vacant houses also are hit. Almost all appliances — stoves, dishwashers and laundry units — contain metal that can be recycled. With refrigerators, the most copper is generally found in energy-efficient units. The amounts in any particular brand can vary but may yield roughly $90 worth of the metal.

With so many homes abandoned since the housing market’s face plant, Paul said N eighborhood W atch programs are more important than ever.

"The best crime prevention tool is a concerned neighbor," he said. "Make a vacant home look occupied — keep the front lawn neat, remove advertising fliers, park a car in the driveway."

Metal thieves, he said, will not target a home they perceive as occupied.

Businesses that store materials such as copper wiring are more apt to be the target of metal thieves than residences simply because they yield more product. They are hit at night, when it’s dark and no one is around.

Security guards, bright lighting and video cameras can be deterrents. Another way companies can fight back is to douse metals with SmartWater , a type of forensic tag that sticks not only to the metal at risk of being stolen but also to whoever touches it. SmartWater glows under ultraviolet light.

Sean Sanford, president of Nevada Recycling, recalled an instance from years ago of taking in suspicious metal and alerting police. An investigation showed the man had yanked the items out of Hoover Dam. Another time, a bronze statue was red-flagged as suspicious. Police determined it was stolen from a local attorney. Such thievery costs the company about $5,000 out of pocket a year, Sanford said.

Besides copper wiring, suspect items include water meters and cable and utility components. When people bring items to a recycling company, they do not do so anonymously. At Nevada Recycling, for example, they are on videotape, they have to provide a driver’s license, their license plate is recorded and they may be fingerprinted. If this is their first time at the company and their transaction is $150 or less, they are paid in cash. The next time, they receive a check, a way to ensure a paper trail, Sanford said.

"Everything we buy goes into a database that police can (access), similar to how a pawn shop operates," Sanford said.

Republic Services reports that its curb side recycling program is taking a hit from thieves, too. The red, white and blue bins make for easy targets. All thieves have to do is prowl neighborhoods.

"They’ll pull up, empty all the metal they find into the back of a pickup truck and drive away," said Bob Coyle, vice president of government affairs for Republic Services of Southern Nevada.

He said there was no way to determine how much such acts cost the company. Aluminum currently fetches about 50 cents a pound. It takes 30 cans to make a pound.

Mostly, he said, Republic Services sees a lot more commercial recycling stolen. Coyle said grocery and big-box stores normally bale their corrugated cardboard for pick up, but cagey thieves often beat them to it.

"We’ll pull up to a commercial D umpster, and it’ll be empty … Some of these guys know our routes better than we do," he said.

Anyone witnessing metal theft can call 911, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Do not attempt to get involved with stopping the crime, the department advised.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.