Metal Theft

Metal Theft

There are few things out there that are more egregious than the theft of metal. The cast goes beyond the simple cost of the metal itself. There is frequently collateral damage. 

  Some examples of the true cost of metal theft.

The theft of copper cables off of train rails. The BBC reports, from the UK, that if even an inch of copper cable gets stolen, this causes massive train delays and thousands upon thousands of pounds(dollars) of damages for just a few pounds(dollars) in rewards.

Another story from CNBC documents how some thieves in the US are stealing copper cables from electrical stations, residential homes, and even from a construction site. Reportedly, copper theft is a $1 billion business in the US.(That's a ton of money.)

The point being...

The point being, metal theft carries a larger cost than the material itself. The melting down of copper wiring, for example, means the wire not only has to be bought again, but someone has to pay to make it again, pay to rebuy it, pay to transport it, pay to have someone reinstall the wiring and pay to test to make sure that the wiring is safe. This is another reason why I insist on only breaking down broken or antiquated items. They served their purpose and/or are now useless.  

Again, do not steal metal. It is expensive and nets very little money. Across the country(in the US), metal theft laws are getting updated to make selling stolen metal harder and carry harsher punishment.