Economy Down, Copper Thefts Up

Copper theft is once again costing Loma Linda tens of thousands of dollars as the wiring is being stolen from streetlights and other areas around the city.

This recent spate of thefts have forced the city to hire extra San Bernardino County Sheriff’s patrols to hopefully catch the late night-early morning vandals, said Konrad Bolowich, director of information systems for the city.

A second anti-theft measure has been instituted as well. The wiring used in the city of Loma Linda is now being printed with the city name on the wire. If a person tries to sell it illegally, that will raise a red flag, Bolowich said.

“It has happened in the past and was happening again,” Bolowich said. “Basically any kind of metal that’s available, that people can scrap out, is fair game. They’ve stolen tens of thousands of dollars from streetlights.”

While the price of copper for scrap is going up, it is a relatively small amount compared to the cost of re-installing street lights throughout the city, Bolowich said. And this problem is not limited to Loma Linda.

“We have quite a few additional sheriff’s patrols, so its calming down a bit,” Bolowich said. “If it has scrap metal, people are trying to steal it. The sheriff’s are a very effective deterrent. They’ve done a great job.”

According to CNNMoney.com, copper is currently being traded at $3.14 per pound.

“The trick is trying to stay half a step ahead of them,” Bolowich said.