For years, residents in this cash-strapped Oklahoma city watched helplessly as thieves gutted 33 miles (53 kilometers) of streetlight wiring, plunging long stretches of roadway into darkness. The thousands of dollars criminals pocketed at off-the-books salvage yards wreaked millions of …
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports today that from 2008 through 2015, there were 25,394 catalytic converter thefts across the nation. In 2008, there were 3,246 thefts of catalytic converters. That number rose to 3,986 at the end of …
Despite attempts to control scrap metal sales, international demand has driven the theft of metals, especially copper. Metal thefts primarily occur at vacant properties and can leave building owners with substantial replacement and restoration costs. Oldham said the replacement costs …
Illinois lawmakers have convened a task force to investigate a spike in the theft of recyclable metals. There was a spike in thefts a few years ago when the price of copper and other recyclable metals rose. Copper wiring and …
A new group trying to reduce metal theft from agriculture operations in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said his office is creating a Mississippi Delta Agricultural Theft Task Force to connect law enforcement agencies, scrap …
Longtime New York City subway cops have seen copper thefts before, but last week’s heist on a stretch of open-air tracks was particularly brazen: 500 feet of inch-thick cable stripped from the rails in the middle of the night. The …
A bill filed in the Illinois House would form a new task force to address thefts of recyclable metals, including copper. The Belleville News-Democrat reports the panel would review efforts to combat theft and come up with new ideas. Findings …
Police say two brothers stole nearly $500,000 worth of sewer grates from the Philadelphia, Pa., suburbs and sold them for scrap at pennies on the dollar. Brian and John Vetrulli Jr. were jailed Saturday in Montgomery County on charges of …
Little Rock, Ark., authorities say three stolen sculptures worth nearly $30,000 have been returned. The city’s Parks and Recreation director says a couple found the artwork Sunday morning at the Riverfront Park sculpture garden where they were stolen. He says …
Little Rock, Ark., authorities say three sculptures worth $30,000 have been stolen from Riverfront Park. The city’s Parks and Recreation director says he believes the statues were taken Thursday night. They’re made of bronze with copper detail and were sawed …