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Copper theft strikes UA again
With copper value rising, authorities are cracking down, increasing police presence
By: Kim Hill
The Jan. 11 incident resulted in over $50,000 worth of damage and $3,000 worth in missing copper.
Copper Theft Facts
• The Arizona Copper Theft Committee estimates the total damages of copper theft in the state are between $50 million and $100
million annually.
• UA buildings where copper theft has occured: the Math building annex, the Center for Computing and Information Technology, the Meinel Optical Sciences building, the Robert L. Nugent building and several sorority houses.
• To help decrease copper thefts, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill last year requiring scrap metal dealers to record a seller's personal information, take a photograph and require a driver's license of anyone selling scrap metal like copper.
• Between 2005 and 2006 the University of Arizona Police Department reported at least 15 incidences of copper theft around campus.
Facts gathered from Arizona Daily Wildcat archives and the Arizona Legislature Web site.
"It wasn't just copper that was missing, but electrical wires were cut and solar panels were damaged," said Chris Kopach, associate director of facilities management.
A week later, workers arrived to find that the thieves had struck for the second time over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
"Within that building, we've had four thefts in the last month and a half," said Lloyd Wundrock, health and safety officer for risk management. "Because the price of copper has increased many folds, it's become more of a theft target on the UA campus."
Sgt. Eugene Mejia of the University of Arizona Police Department isn't as worried about thefts on campus as he is about those outside of it.
"They usually target areas where they can get large amounts of copper in short amounts of time," he said. "On campus, it would be a little harder to do so without being seen, due to high activity."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
rdiggity
posted 2/12/08 @ 9:57 AM PST
people that have some construction experience and use meth are the most likely cause
Donna
posted 2/13/08 @ 9:56 AM PST
Where are the security guards? Surely the UA can afford to hire a part-time, retired security guard to watch the building at night/weekends/holidays??
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