Irrigation wire, other metals a target for theft

by Brad W. Gary<br>Herald Staff Writer
| March 14, 2006 8:00 PM

Rising scrap prices attracting thieves

GRANT COUNTY — The wires aren't supposed to be dangling from Steve Jorgensen's irrigation circles.

The Moses Lake area farmer hadn't planned on making repairs to those circles, until thieves stripped approximately a quarter mile of copper wire from them in January. Now Jorgensen and farm manager Trent Cleverly are preparing those lines for the irrigation season, growing corn wheat and potatoes on the property off Road 4. His lines weren't the first to have wires stolen, and this type of theft has become more and more common at farms throughout Grant County.

"We don't know what's going on but obviously there's a lot of vandalism," Jorgensen said.

Increasing metal prices across the board have made the copper from irrigation lines and the aluminum from scrap metal yards an enticing target for thieves. By burning off wire casings, suspects can take the metal to a scrap recycling business and draw ever-rising prices. According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, numerous recycling scrap metal businesses are paying approximately $1 per pound for copper and 35 to 40 cents per pound for aluminum, and some dealers are reportedly buying the scrap for even higher prices.

"Cost is always rising," Cleverly said, adding that metal companies are having to adjust their own costs to cover costs for gasoline and diesel fuel.

But while metal prices continue to rise, those prices in no way compare to the amount of money it costs to replace the wiring on an irrigation line. The estimate from Jorgensen's insurance company listed the costs to replace the wire at between $9,000 and $15,000. Cleverly said a similar estimate from a local irrigation company priced their replacement at about $10,000, including installation.

The farm has previously had tools and fuel stolen, but Cleverly said January's theft was the first time they've had their irrigation wiring stolen.

And they're not the only ones. The sheriff's office is perpetually responding to metal theft calls all over the county, with drug abusers suspected in many of those burglaries. Chief Deputy John Turley said the sheriff's office has asked metal dealers to record the names of sellers bringing in large quantities of copper and aluminum scrap.

Bargain Town in Moses Lake is one scrap dealer who has been talking to law enforcement about the issue. Owner Charles Hepburn said his business registers the names and drivers licenses of sellers, who can be cut off if their sales become suspicious.

"Most people are selling metal legitimately," Hepburn said, noting he buys metal from objects like screen doors and other household scraps.

But, he said, there are suspicious people selling scrap metal. Hepburn has recently been contacted by the sheriff's office about metal thefts, and has been informed on the patterns from sellers his business should be looking for. The combination of a particular grade of burnt copper and aluminum foil strips is a one of those patterns.

Hepburn is paying more for copper and aluminum than he has in the past, a trend he attributes primarily to the vibrant economies in Asia.

"It's a worldwide demand situation," Hepburn said of the demand Asian countries are seeing for raw materials since their economies have bounced back from financial hardships in the 1990s.

Hepburn has been fortunate, and has not had any scrap metal stolen from his shop. But other area scrap yards in industrial areas of Moses Lake have had large quantities of metal stolen over the last few years. Moses Lake Police Department Captain Jim Jenkins said police have off and on received calls about thefts at scrap yards, "but it seems to intensify when metal prices go up and the metal becomes more valuable," he said.

When those metals are stolen from local dealers, Jenkins said they can easily be transported to another city for sale. The thefts have primarily occurred in the nighttime hours when businesses are closed and few people are on site, but Jenkins said those who are cognizant when thefts occur should contact the police.

"We would just ask that if people are in those industrial areas after hours, that they call us so we can identify these people," Jenkins said of possible suspects.

The sheriff's office is also asking farmers to notify them when they spot suspicious vehicles or people roaming the rural farming areas at unusual times of day or night. Turley said the sheriff's office is encouraging farmers to secure their targeted wiring as best they can.

Deputies arrested one man last week in connection with a series of metal thefts, but the sheriff's office suspects several more people are still stealing wire in the area. The problem with thefts of this kind, Turley said, is that officers need evidence the suspects took the wire and possess the wire in order to prosecute the cases.

In Cleverly's case, an abandoned truck found on Jorgensen's property at the same time of the theft was registered to a person who received a check from a local metals dealer for burnt scrap copper wiring. That check was for $65.

"For the amount of damage he's done, I'd have gladly give him a job. To not do it, to help him out," Cleverly said.