Besides creating dangerous conditions, the copper wire thefts have become a drain on state and local resources. The city lost 33 miles of streetlight wiring to copper wire theft. In Washington state, some of the regional offices of the Department of Transportation likewise reported a spike in copper wire theft. And while copper theft ebbs and flows, often depending on the economy and the metal’s price, it never goes away. The department has also assigned technicians to monitor highway cameras 24 hours a day, looking for potential copper thieves.

Source: Huffington Post December 10, 2018 21:11 UTC