California county reports rise in copper wire thefts

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in California has reported a rise in copper wire thefts across the county, with the latest incident in Bakersfield, California, turning up thousands of pounds of copper and other nonferrous metals.

On Feb. 9, KCSO detectives located approximately 2,300 pounds of copper, aluminum, brass and more, identifying several items as being stolen from local companies that recently had reported copper wire stolen, according to an update on the KCSO Facebook page.

The update also says that, through an investigation, detectives discovered an illegal recycling operation at the suspect’s residence in Bakersfield.

The early February incident is the latest in a string of what KCSO says have been increasing copper wire thefts in the oil fields and farmlands around Kern County, which spans the southern end of California’s Central Valley, and KSCO says these types of thefts have cost thousands of dollars in damages and repairs.

About three weeks ago, KCSO Rural Crime Investigations Unit investigated a copper wire theft that turned up about 200 pounds of cut copper wire and also reported an attempted copper wire theft in early January and an alleged theft involving stolen copper wire and stolen trailers.

In late October last year, eight people were arrested in Taft, California, after KCSO deputies responded to a call of a stolen trailer and found hundreds of pounds of stolen copper wire, as well as suspect vehicles from “numerous copper wire thefts.” Eight people were arrested in connection with the alleged theft.

The copper thefts are not just a Kern County or California issue.

Earlier this year, ScrapTheftAlert.com, operated by the Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), reported $60,000 worth of spooled copper cable stolen in Steelton, Pennsylvania, and over the past two weeks, the theft alert service has reported copper-related thefts in Alabama, California, Illinois and Iowa.

The issue has risen to prominence in Europe, too.

A recent report from online news service Euronews indicates copper has been the primary target in metals theft across the continent. The report says that in the 2022-2023 financial year, maintenance and service delays caused by the theft of copper-laden materials have cost U.K.-based train operators $18 million, while Deutsche Bahn in Germany estimates copper thefts cost the country about $7.5 million each year.