Ding dong, are you missing a bell? Acting on a tip, police recovered a 5,300 pound copper bell that was stolen last week from the garden of St. Mary’s Cathedral in West Oakland, California. [More]
metal theft
Copper Traded For Crack
By 10.26.11
Some enterprising drug dealers are helping copper thieves cut out the middleman. They’re accepting copper pipe as legal tender in exchange for crack cocaine. [More]
Louisiana Outlaws Cash For Trading Used Goods More Than Once A Month
By 10.19.11
In order to combat the rising threat of metal theft, Louisiana passed a law that prohibits anyone who trades used property more than once a month from conducting that transaction in cash. This should cut down on metal vultures stripping down the infrastructure to turn it into money for their drug habit. However, this also means you can’t really hold a garage sale more than once every 30 days without some burdensome restrictions. [More]
Two Men Charged For Stealing Entire Steel Bridge
By 10.17.11
Two men have been arrested after they were accused of stealing the 50 foot steel Covert’s Crossing Bridge from North Beaver Township, Pennsylvania, using a torch. [More]
Entire Steel Bridge Stolen From Township
By 10.7.11
An all points bulletin is out in North Beaver Township, Pennsylvania for a 50 foot steel bridge that has gone missing. [More]
Metal Theft Follows In Irene's Wake
By 10.4.11
As Tropical Storm Irene has receded, thieves have followed in its wake, and they’re hungry for metal. Several Vermont towns have been hit by metal thieves seeking to take advantage of the disarray as people try to clean up and get their lives back together. [More]
Brass Thieves Stripping Chicago Fire Hydrants
By 9.26.11
Underneath the cap on many fire hydrants is a brass ring called the “port ring.” Firemen need it to connect fire hoses to the hydrants. But metal thieves in Chicago are popping open hydrants, prying off the ring, and selling it to scrap buyers for $15 a pop. If another cow kicks over a lantern there, having a city full of stripped fire hydrants could be deadly. [More]
