San Diego’s students aren’t the only ones who look forward to summer vacation. Copper thieves have been targeting San Diego campuses, costing the school district about $250,000, according to San Diego Unified School District Police Department Lt. Rueben Littlejohn.
Littlejohn’s team of state police working for San Diego’s school district began investigating copper thievery about one year ago.
“We’re up to around 30 cases district-wide,” Littlejohn said.
More than 30 schools were vandalized for their copper piping, Littlejohn said, including Pacific Beach Middle School earlier this summer, along with wiring and other metals like brass backflow systems. According to police, thieves found that breaking into schools and stealing from public utilities was easier than breaking into cars.
“It’s not exclusive to schools,” Littlejohn said. “Big businesses in those same neighborhoods are victims too.”
Copper crooks entered onto area schools this past year, stealing hundreds of pounds of wiring, and closing classes.
“Getting the time back with the students after the fact can’t happen,” Littlejohn said. “There’s a general interest because we’re here to provide to the kids.”
Police began taking precautionary measures, placing signatures like embossing on the copper to follow it once it was stolen. The San Diego Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, and Littlejohn’s team trace copper stolen from public schools or utilities, he said.
“The thieves will take 200 or 300 pounds of the stuff at a time,” said a San Diego police detective working undercover on ongoing area copper cases. “They take it home that night and strip the wire into 18-inch lengths.”
According to the detective, the copper crooks take the stolen metal to a local recycler for about $1.85 per pound.
“It’s a very hard job because a lot of people are doing the wrong thing,” said Johnny LeRoy of Old Town Recycling.
Although local law requires recyclers to record driver’s license numbers and license plates, LeRoy said he won’t accept more than 25 pounds of copper unless the customer owns a construction company.
“When I have a feeling he’s not a regular guy, I’ll keep the stuff for a couple of weeks,” LeRoy said.
Politicians proposed new legislation to make selling copper and other metals more difficult, the detective said, including a waiting period for checks issued. Police hope the bill gets passed, he said. Until that day, they count on legitimate recyclers to work with them.
According to police, after thieves sell copper to a recycling center, that recycling center sells to a larger nation that converts the metal back into a product.
“A majority of recycled products are being recycled to China. The ultimate goal is to sell [the metals] back to China,” the detective said.
Copper prices change daily. Some of the biggest victims include public utility companies, including San Diego Gas & Electric, which is funding a Crimestoppers reward, police said.
Anyone who turns in a copper thief for prosecution will receive up to $2,000, police said. To report a copper theft, call (888) 580-TIPS.