Copper thieves lose out

[BobSch]

Messing around with 13,200 volts is not for dummies! (Not for those with a weak stomach, either!)

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/19871...349986_6Z87Srd

[sweensdv]

There's one court date that the taxpayers won't have to foot the bill for.

[Alex Franke]

You should add a very obvious warning to that link... It's a very graphic depiction of what was likely a horrific death. The tiny warning at the top of the screen is entirely insufficient -- not to mention useless for those of us with large monitors.

[dbhost]

That's NASTY...

[jackellis]

I don't have much sympathy for idiots who mess with the grid. That includes copper thieves, kids who climb poles, and anyone who flies a kite near a power line. I also don't have much sympathy for the parents because they should teach their kids to stay away from this stuff.

I didn't watch the video but I have heard a few stories I'd rather forget.

[chopnhack]

The pictures are horrific, their deaths were probably very quick.

[LCHIEN]

I've mentioned before how little regard I hold those who destroy expensive unattended infrastructure, churches, schools, businesses and homes for the relative pittance of the scrap value.

[BigguyZ]

Well after re-plumbing a house from copper thieves, and having a huge pile of scrap stolen after gutting my brother's house, I have no pitty for any scrapper.

I think the majority of people who go to scrap yards are thieves and low-life piles of garbage. It frustrates me and angers me to no end how people will go onto your property and take what they want with no regard. Even those who aren't necessarily stealing are rediculous. My brother left a perfectly good pedestal sink at an alley for someone to take and reuse. A scrapper came by, and smashed the sink to get and the little bit of metal from the faucet. Then when my brother caught him and yelled at him to clean it up, they just dumped the peices in some cardboard sitting there to be recylced. Ignorant pieces of trash, all of them.

I'm not happy these two men died- but I'm not sorry for them either.

[Stytooner]

I did do some scrapping for a while when I was single to make ends meet. I had about a dozen collision repair shops that I covered. The down side is not only did I get the metal for free, I had to haul of trash and plastics to the dump to keep them all clean. I had to give it up when I found full time employment, but it sure helped pay the bills. No stealing involved in any of it though.

I have legitimate scrap now that I let my Son take to the scrappers about once every couple months. It's a decent supplement to his income. Brass, aluminum and steel. All are drops and chips from making Sharks. This isn't called scraping, but recycling.

Not everyone hauling stuff to scrap yards are crooks, however the crooks do give us all a bad name. The hoops one has to go through now to even do legitimate recycling is pretty substantial with driver's license copies, finger prints and trailer and truck tag numbers. You have to sign an affidavit about where the material came from and rightful ownership as well.
I understand why this is, but it sure ain't like it used to be.

[cabinetman]

On an episode of "COPS", the cops snuck up on and caught in the act, a guy that broke into a commercial yard having copper wire stored outside.
there was a bolt cutter close by on the ground. Since he didn't have any wire on him, they asked him if he had done this before. He said: "Nope...this is the first time".

Then they asked him if he had gotten some copper what were you going to do with it? He said: "Oh, I take it to the recycle place".

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[dbhost]

When I was in college, I worked in a full service gas station for a while. Broken car parts that were not returnable for core value were often collected and sold to recyclers for scrap. My company had 4 stations, a tire shop, and 2 collision repair centers, so the hauls were usually rather large. Recycling metal can be a part of legitimate business operations. But the guy that has nothing to do with electrical work bringing in a truck full of copper wire, well... That's fishy...

I am pretty sure the scrap metal places know who is legit and who isn't and they just don't care...

As far as that crispy critter in those pics goes, he got his profit right there. There is so much legit material out there, that can be had just for the asking from so many sources, that a lot of these guys can quit stealing the stuff, and actually do some legit business, without risk of life, limb, or liberty. Too bad so many choose the crooked path...

[Stytooner]

One of those cheap $2.99 HF multi-testers would have certainly helped these guys. They even give them free when you have that coupon.

Logically though, these guys seem to have been doing a lot of work to steal.
There are a lot of jobs available that don't require half that much work.

[billwmeyer]

My dad loved to scrap. He really enjoyed tearing up motors for the copper, separating brass or iron or what ever. We had about a 100 year old farm, so there was machinery to dismantle, etc. He also bought things at auctions, garage sales etc to scrap. Most scrappers are law abiding citizens. I have helped him for many hours and hauled many loads.

At our local scrap yard, no matter what you bring in, you must show your picture id. They copy it and keep it on file and keep records of what you bring in. You are paid by check, not cash.

Copper thieves are very bad here too, but there are also arrests and many are tipped off by the scrap yard.

Bill

[sweensdv]

Anyone ever heard of a scrap yard being prosecuted for receiving stolen property? I haven't but I'm just saying............... Wouldn't you think that someone bringing in a load of sparkling shiny new copper would send up some kind of a red flag?

[cabinetman]

There's been the vandalizing of local businesses and churches of copper and brass. Churches have had their whole A/C systems removed completely.
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21004602665251/

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