This, combined with plummeting prices for copper at the time, led many to believe that the end was near for cable theft crime. Thieves are willing to go to almost any length to steal metal, stripping sheets of metal from building rooftops, stealing memorial decorations from cemeteries, ripping apart air conditioners for their copper coils, and stripping homes and buildings of wiring and piping. It is in wire, part of a plumbing system, and can even be part of a home’s trim. But between 2010-2012, according to statistics there were over 32,000 incidents of copper theft. All rights reserved. "As metal prices rise, so do the number of metal thefts. In the United States, copper theft incidents have more than tripled within the last 5 years. Many of the power lines that are strung above the ground have copper cable within them, which causes thieves to climb up the pole and potentially cause themselves a fatal injury. Copper theft is something that threatens the very infrastructure of a company because the invention and implementation of the power grid is based on copper wire. Of these, 96% concerned copper theft. The following are among the findings: More than $68,000 of copper wire was stolen from a US electrical utility because a thief was able to steal multiple 1,000 pound rolls of copper wire. This is despite the tendency of copper theft to follow the price of copper at the London Metal Exchange, which took a sharp dip towards the middle of August last year (2011), Hess explained. Source. Scrap metal rates are typically consistent and copper is one of the most common and easily accessible metals that can be stolen. To safeguard against cable theft, Eskom has: Replaced copper conductors with aluminium. Copper thieves have trebled Underberg’s total crime statistics in the month of May, according to Brett Deavin, head of Berg Protection Services. Copper theft has always been a challenge for the electricity industry, but has it plagued the North American grid at an elevated level for the last 15 years. Likely, this phenomenon is further evidence that measures to reduce the thefts at electric utilities are having a positive impact. Copper theft is still on the rise, and it was only a matter of time before federal authorities recognized it as a major problem. iv ABSTRACT This dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of copper cable theft within the Gauteng Province of South Africa. To prevent this, some states have implemented laws that require serial number tracking and exact records for copper recycling to happen – with steep penalties for thieves and recyclers who choose not to follow the law. Copper theft incidents have tripled within the last five years in the United States. "A new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) confirms what many are seeing through news reports and their own experience — thefts of copper and other metals are occurring all over the nation. The problem has plagued transport networks for years, affecting some of th… Since 2009, metal thefts have consistently increased in the US on a year-by-year basis. Although copper theft is thought of as a victimless crime, repair personnel and the thieves themselves can be fatally injured because of the damage that copper theft can cause. Copper theft is generally thought of as a victimless crime, repair personnel and the thieves themselves can be fatally injured because of the damage that copper theft poses. In Texas, up to 40% of copper thefts occurred in homes that were under construction and only 10% of theft incidents were because of a forced entry. new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Live from CES: Security related tech trends - Part 2, Pandemic accelerates adoption of smart home solutions, Security Fusion startup HiveWatch secures funding, CES: Essence brings 5G to PERS, intrusion detection, 2GIG panel wins CTA Security and Surveillance Product of the Year Award, Dealers, Integrators & Installing Companies, With “Ultimate Sunset Offer,” Alula gives installers a pain-free path to 5G, Eighteen months of service credits make BAT-connect virtually free, New device adds virtually unlimited range to company’s IoT ecosystem, extends reach of intelligent property monitoring, Alarm.com unveils new video doorbell and LTE sensor at CES, Touchless doorbell option supports social distancing requirements; while sensor brings connectivity to any area that can receive LTE signals, ShotSpotter release report that reveals a dramatic rise of 48 percent in gunshot incidents during 2020, New Year’s eve logs 12,266 gunshot alerts in 24 hours; nearly double the three-year average, Potter’s NCE-1000 and NCF-1000 Networking Cards, New integration allows for more networking flexibility for Potter Fire alarm systems, Clare Controls issues software update to integrate Control4 systems, smart garage doors and thermostats, Update enhances and simplifies remote access and control capabilities, New 5G-ready sole path communicator ideal for commercial fire applications, ACOEM's Acoustic Threat Detection (ATD) Sensor, Solution uses AI-powered technology to sense and track threats to public safety. This results in train services being disrupted – potentially for hours – causing a huge loss of revenue for operators. With copper prices at $3.00 per pound, there is a lot of incentive to find more metal and thieves are willing to look just about anywhere for it. 2. That’s what the copper thief is going to look at and that’s why community watch programs can be so effective. Between 2010-2012, there were over 32,000 incidents of copper theft. From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors, 22 Chilean Mining Industry Statistics, Trends & Analysis, 20 Scrap Recycling Industry Statistics and Trends, 21 Electrolysis Industry Statistics and Trends, 21 Metallurgical and Mining Industry Statistics,…, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors. 12/03/08. Until metal prices drop, copper theft incidents will still continue to be high. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng Harsh penalties for copper theft Here's what Supercircuits' report had to say -- and then make sure you check out the full infographic on copper theft today. Giving copper theft its own crime code at the SAPS:At present, the SAPS crime database records copper theft in the category "other crimes". "Since August 2009, metal thefts have steadily increased across the nation, driven by rising prices for base metals… especially copper. How big of a business is it to get copper melted down? The NICB report reviews over 25,000 claims for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum that were submitted to ISO ClaimSearch from 2009 to 2011. Over $319 billion in insurance premiums were written in 2011 with about 80% of them designed to help provide protection against copper theft. 5 Utility copper wire theft, as a portion of all copper theft, is also shown in Figure 2. During this period, 33,775 insurance claims for the theft of copper, bronze, brass or aluminum were handled—32,568 of them (96 percent) for copper alone. Commerce and Industry (SACCI) (2013), the estimated costs of copper cable theft. We received this great little report put together by the team over at Supercircuits in regards to the theft of copper metal. Knowing that theft statistics for copper rise when its price per pound rises can also help local authorities prepare for possible issues. Theft is typically high, with thousands of miles of trackside copper cabling to steal from that is generally far away from densely populated areas and cannot easily be monitored. Detectives have closed hundreds of cases with information from the LeadsOnline Metal Theft Investigative System. When times get tough in a specific region, one of the things you can rely upon is an increase in copper theft. 7007P-M IntelliNet 2.0 Burglary Subscriber from AES Corp. 4 zone supervised burglary alarm communicator with integrated LCD display, LED indicators and annunciator, PB-IN-100AT “Anticrawl” photoelectric beam from Takex, Optex QX Infinity (QXI) series PIR sensors, Available in low-mount and high-mount options, LenelS2 announces OnGuard interface with DMP Intrusion Detection Systems, New interface expands functionality, increases compliance in highly regulated markets and simplifies administration and deployment, DMP announces alarm communicator is FirstNet Ready, Communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built specifically for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. Copper theft is a serious problem that jeopardizes public and employee safety and impacts electric reliability and utility finances. Thieves are brazen, however, so today you have to protect everything inside and outside of your home – even your home’s generator, even if it is turned on. It’s understandable to see why copper thefts are on the rise, but a few controls in place can help to reduce incidents. If copper prices go down and another metal price goes up, then everything talked about here for copper theft will then simply apply to the new valuable metal. The New York-New Jersey area is the metropolitan area that reports the most metal theft claims within the communities borders. 55% of the claims on copper theft were on commercial policies. Between 2010-2012, there were over 32,000 incidents of copper theft. Internationally, copper theft is increasing, and reports are being received from many countries,” said Maotshe. 7 people were able to take copper from power utility substations in Ohio and sell it for $15,000 before being caught. This is an acceleration of a decade-long trend. One of the fastest growing niche industries within the security field is the specific stopping of copper theft. Copper theft alone is enough of an issue that more than 20 states have passed legislation to regulate its sale to recycling centers. Of these, 96% concerned copper theft. Data was collected from literature sources as well as from security professionals combating copper theft. Metal theft is "the theft of items for the value of their constituent metals". With eager international buyers, increasing exports, and people willing to look the other way at questionable sources, it is easy to understand why copper theft is becoming more common. copper theft The world market price for copper has soared over 400 percent, in the past 5 years. Make sure you have the right security measures in place for your next project to be on the other side of these statistics. Crime in mining operations is mainly characterised by theft of product in refinery to final product stages, hi-jacking style product in-transit theft, explosives theft, copper bearing commodity theft such as cable theft, diesel, material theft from stores, tools and equipment and various smaller but valuable item theft. The recent rise in copper prices has made solid-copper pole grounds a valuable target for thieves. Police patrols to scrap yards have increased 75% specifically because of the increase in copper theft instances. Theft of crude oil from pipelines operated by Colombia's state-controlled oil company Ecopetrol rose by 46% last year, driven by surging robberies along the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline, a … LME ¼ London Metal Exchange; BTP ¼ British Transport Police. Copper Theft Incidents Statistics. Home » Statistics » 21 Extraordinary Copper Theft Statistics. Copper theft statistics show that property owners suffer billions of dollars in loss and damage each year in the United States due to copper thieves. There’s a good chance that the home you’re in right now has some extensive copper wiring in it. The NICB report reviews over 25,000 claims for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum that were submitted to ISO ClaimSearch from 2009 to 2011. When a portion of signalling cable is removed, a track circuit failure occurs. AT&T released a guide for law enforcement officials to assist them in how to identify copper thieves and the origins of copper cable. An Australian man posed as a cable repair technician and was able to remove over $110,000 of copper materials from over 400 homes before being caught. Copper Theft. One thing is for certain: with copper prices remaining high, so will the incidents of theft. According to the latest statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks incidents of metal theft, 25,083 claims were filed from 2009 … Copper wire that was stolen from a substation in Kansas caused more than $150,000 in damages and knocked out power for some time to the city. Each pound of copper alone is worth over $2.00. Between 2006-2008, there were a little more than 13,000 reported incidents of copper theft. With copper prices at over $2.00 per pound there is a lot… ranges between R5 and R7 Billion a year. ", 25 Gambling Industry Statistics and Trends, 27 Animal Experimentation Statistics and Facts, Spotify SWOT Analysis for 2021: 26 Strengths and Weaknesses, Uber SWOT Analysis for 2021: 23 Major Strengths and Weaknesses, Netflix SWOT Analysis (2021): 23 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses, Tesla SWOT Analysis (2021): 33 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses, 14 Core Values of Amazon: Its Mission and Vision Statement, Is AliExpress Legit and Safe: 15 Tips for Buyers, How Does Zoom Make Money: Business Model Explained, A Look at Southwest Airlines Mission Statement: 10 Key Takeaways, Apple’s Mission Statement and Vision Statement Explained, How Does WhatsApp Make Money: Business Model & Revenue Explained. The theft of copper cables has cost our railways £43 million in three years – but who does it, and how? For every substation that has copper wire removed from it, the minimum repair cost in the US is $3,000 and that doesn’t account for losses that occur because of power losses to individual customers. The T shwane Metro Police Department. The numbers say it all. Time series of LME copper prices (US$ per tonne) and BTP-recorded ''live'' copper cable thefts (n ¼ 5,013), January 2006 to April 2012. Copper theft cripples South Africa's railways, leaving commuters waiting. 5. ", (Image 1) Copper theft: Research on what states copper theft is predominantly affecting, Sign up for Security Info Watch eNewsletters, Latest in Alarm Systems & Intrusion Detection, More in Alarm Systems & Intrusion Detection. As a result, copper metal thefts (and other metals) have impacted the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta at an astonishing rate. It's based on a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Comparing these prices to copper priced under $1/lb ($2.21/kg) less tha… There are five primary objectives in this research: 1. It usually increases when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise, as has happened dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China.Apart from precious metals like gold and silver, the metals most commonly stolen are non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminium, brass, and bronze. Metal thefts by police force area. Data was collected from literature sources as Copper has gone from a high of $4/lb ($8.82/kg) in mid-2008 to a low of $1.45/lb ($3.20/kg) in January 2009, and then back up to $4.00/lb ($8.82/kg) in November 2010. The FBI is planning a campaign against copper theft. By Mfuneko Toyana, ... according to Statistics South Africa. The amount of copper that is successfully stolen and redeemed exceeds $1 billion annually. 052 15/12/2011 JMPD offices set 160 kg of copper were found at house number 43 Schullar Street Forest Hill. The illegal connections of electricity can lead to household fires and accidental death by electrocution. Utilities that supply power are subject to theft of service and theft of hardware used to provide service. With copper prices at $3.00 per pound, there is a lot of incentive to find more metal and thieves are willing to look just about anywhere for it. Even older pennies in the US are worth more than a penny because of the amount of copper that they contain! We conducted a retrospective study of all individuals examined by the Jefferson County Coroner Medical Examiner Office from … Not every copper theft incident requires an insurance claim or a police report, which may skew the results of today’s research. One of the most effective methods of deterring copper theft is to be vigilant and watchful within neighborhoods and business sectors. To explore and to describe the extent and the impact of copper cable theft. 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