Bounty For Copper Thieves
By: Web Producer
Updated: May 12, 2008
There is now a bounty on the heads of copper thieves. The price of copper is rising so fast, copper robbers cant resist. So Hoosier Energy and Win Energy, which serve southwest Indiana from Terre Haute to the Ohio River, are offering a reward. In Indiana and across the country, there have been major increases in the cost of copper over the last two years. With prices rising to nearly four dollars a pound, substations in southwestern Indiana and across the country have seen an increase in copper thefts. In the tri-state area, there have been a number of reported thefts. In Evansville, the Reitz Home Museum had several downspouts stolen, and in Henderson, someone stole nearly $10,000 dollars worth of copper wire at AT&T.
Hoosier Energys Brad Hyland says theyre boosting security to try and prevent thefts. They have added security cameras and are monitoring substations closely. When copper is stripped from the substations, it can lead to major power outages and it is serious threat to those who steal it.
If you see any suspicious activity around a substation, call the police. There is a $5,000 dollar reward for information leading to an arrest for the theft at the substation on State Road 61 between Petersburg and Monroe City.
(Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions)
RNS-05-12-08 1812CDT
