Risky Business: Copper Thieves Risk Death For A Few Bucks
Springfield City Utilities says the problem has been going on for a long time, people stealing copper wire from substations.
Spokesman Joel Alexander says he cannot understand how people can risk getting killed by 161,000 volts of electricity that could be flowing through lines at any time.
He says they may get a few hundred dollars for it at a scrap yard, but is it worth a life?
That's why CU has spent over $171,000 dollars in security upgrades at substations like new security cameras, signs, and the copper as well.
Alexander says they've started using steel straps instead of copper, so when thieves scale that fence what they are looking for might not even be there.
In fact, the new security cameras have already started paying off, three men were caught in the act recently trying to steal copper wire from a substation.
And a local business owner also had a guy nabbed after a security camera he had put in captured the thief stealing copper wire.
All four men are sitting in jail.
Alexander also says when people steal copper wire, that costs CU customers money when it come to repairing the damage.
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