Police hoping surveillance video helps nab wire thieves
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SEATTLE -- Brazen thieves are using the cover of night to strip light poles of their copper wiring, and police hope newly-released surveillance footage will help put the crooks behind bars.
Copper wire theft has become an epidemic, costing local businesses, school districts cities tens of thousands of dollars. And in most cases, all the thieves need is a screwdriver and some time.
New surveillance footage from the Jehovah's Witness Church in Covington shows the thieves in action. It's dark when they start stripping the wire, and the sun is just about to come up when they finally finish stripping all the light poles in the parking lot.
"And they're taking anything big or small and they're selling it, mostly to get money for drugs," said Cindi West of the King County sheriff's office.
In the month of June alone, thieves stripped light poles at four schools, four churches and a construction site in South King County. Other businesses, including a Burien hair salon, were hit earlier in the year.
"It's not just one area, it's all over," West said.
At Saint John the Baptist Church in Covington, the bad guys got into 12 poles, cutting out all the wires.
"And they just pull them out from post to post to post, pull them out and they take and pull them down," said church worker Keith Tulloch.
In all, the theft cost the church $2,300.
"Copper is pretty pricey right now, so you can make a lot of money off of copper," West said.
Once they've stripped the wire, all the thieves need is a recycler willing to buy it. Recycling companies often call the police when they see something that looks suspicious, but West said it's difficult to pinpoint the source of the copper. She said that's why it's so important to get the new surveillance video out to the public.
"Most of these guys have to talk to somebody, especially if they're teenagers and it gets around," Tulloch said. "It's free money, until you get caught. Until you get caught, and it's pretty hard to catch them."
Copper wire theft has become an epidemic, costing local businesses, school districts cities tens of thousands of dollars. And in most cases, all the thieves need is a screwdriver and some time.
New surveillance footage from the Jehovah's Witness Church in Covington shows the thieves in action. It's dark when they start stripping the wire, and the sun is just about to come up when they finally finish stripping all the light poles in the parking lot.
"And they're taking anything big or small and they're selling it, mostly to get money for drugs," said Cindi West of the King County sheriff's office.
In the month of June alone, thieves stripped light poles at four schools, four churches and a construction site in South King County. Other businesses, including a Burien hair salon, were hit earlier in the year.
"It's not just one area, it's all over," West said.
At Saint John the Baptist Church in Covington, the bad guys got into 12 poles, cutting out all the wires.
"And they just pull them out from post to post to post, pull them out and they take and pull them down," said church worker Keith Tulloch.
In all, the theft cost the church $2,300.
"Copper is pretty pricey right now, so you can make a lot of money off of copper," West said.
Once they've stripped the wire, all the thieves need is a recycler willing to buy it. Recycling companies often call the police when they see something that looks suspicious, but West said it's difficult to pinpoint the source of the copper. She said that's why it's so important to get the new surveillance video out to the public.
"Most of these guys have to talk to somebody, especially if they're teenagers and it gets around," Tulloch said. "It's free money, until you get caught. Until you get caught, and it's pretty hard to catch them."
