Copper Theft Update

Mayor and Council May 22, 2012

Copper Wire Theft – Transportation and Parks

• Most wire theft occurs during the hours of darkness (late night, early morning)

• Most wire thefts occur from City Light Poles, Park Light Poles , vacant commercial buildings and vacant houses

• In most cases, copper wire is cut and then removed from adjoining “pull boxes” (junction box) at light poles

• Pull boxes are located near the base of each light pole

Copper Wire Theft – Transportation & Parks

Transportation – Street Lighting

Junction Box/Electrical “Pull Box”

Exposed Pull Box – Before and After Theft

Parks - Field Lighting

The wire inside this pole was

cut. The wires to the pull box were

taken

The remaining

wire is attached to

the lights above and cannot be pulled

out

Tucson Water - Metal Theft

Tucson Water – Well Pumps

Well Motor Termination Panel

Well Electric Meter Panel

Repair and Replacement Considerations

• Safety and security

• Service needs of the community (e.g. ball field schedules)

• Ability to secure the equipment to prevent future vandalism

• Availability of maintenance funding to complete repairs

Cost to the City

• Transportation - $500,000 in copper wire stolen in past 5 years

• Parks - $214,000 spent on repairs to date; $329,000 in repairs still needed

• Water - $500,000 impact since 2003

Tucson Police Department Metal Theft Reduction and

Apprehension Plan

(MTRAP)

Metal Theft Crime Stats (2012)Metal Theft Crime Stats (2012)

• 216 metal theft crimes have occurred in the City of Tucson from January through April of this year.

• Team 1 12.9% (27 cases)• Team 2 37.5% (81 cases)• Team 3 32.4% (70 cases)• Team 4 12.0% (26 cases)• Team 5 5.5% (12 cases)• Citizens and Business owners have

sustained losses of over $600,000

Metal Theft Trends

Types of Metals Ferrous

Non-FerrousScrap Metals

Scrap Metals

"Scrap metals" includes insulated and un-insulated metallic cables which are often among the most stolen items from vacant buildings and City of Tucson utilities.

Recovered stolen wire taken from city

street light pull boxes

Metal Thieves also target copper plumbing, backflow valves, and copper components located in air conditioning

units

Thieves often target vacant houses and commercial properties to steal

copper plumbing

MTRAP ObjectiveMTRAP Objective

• The Metal Theft Apprehension Plan (MTRAP) was developed and implemented in 2012.

• The mission of the Metal Theft Apprehension Plan is to effectively address criminal issues associated with the illegal activities relating to metal theft within the Tucson Community.

• The plan involves a coordinated and collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies, City of Tucson Transportation Department, Parks and Recreation Department, local business owners and community members.

MTRAP StrategyMTRAP Strategy

• Intelligence and information driven policing• Metal theft training to Field Staff• Elevation of metal theft calls for service• New Metal Theft Crime Classification Code • MTRAP email distribution list • Leads Online – tracking of sales of recycled

metal• Monthly MTRAP strategy meetings of

enforcement and prosecutors to share information and intelligence

Metal Theft Investigations

• Patrol and investigative activities will be intelligence driven.

• Detective Neighborhood Crime Units have investigative control over all divisional arrest and investigations exclusive to one division.

• Property Crime Division detectives will conduct metal theft investigations which involve more than one division, undercover operations, and regulatory functions.

• Prosecutors actively involved in investigative processes and resultant prosecution.

MTRAP Results• In March of this year Jacobs Park had 200 feet of copper

wiring stolen from Park Light Poles.• Information was developed through Leads Online that a

38 year old male had over 150 transactions at various metal scrap recyclers.

• Further investigation revealed he had just been released from prison for Burglary in January of 2012.

• Information was distributed to the patrol officers to locate the suspect.

• On 04/30/12 the suspect was arrested after he broke into the Madre Mia Restaurant at 1535 N. Stone to steal copper wiring.

• The suspect was charged with Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools and Felony Criminal Damage.

MTRAP Results• On May 7th 2012 Officers were dispatched to 2550 N Los

Altos, 960 KCEE Am Radio Station at 2am.

• The Radio Station was knocked off the air after wires were cut by two metal thieves. Site surveillance caught two suspects actively cutting wire.

• Responding units arrested both suspects after a brief foot chase.

• Both suspects, a 49 year old male, and a 44 year old male were charged with Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools and Felony Criminal Damage for the estimated $10,000.00 of damage they caused to the property.

Next Steps• Internal cross-departmental team will continue meeting to

discuss trends, prevention, and replacement strategies

• City staff will work with other affected entities (such as utility companies), community groups (such as SAHBA), and law enforcement agencies to make the prevention and prosecution of metal theft top priority

• A public information campaign has been started with PSAs currently under production, media releases on high profile metal theft cases, community presentations and educational flyers

• City will continue to monitor and advocate for State and Federal legislation to strengthen efforts in the reduction of metal theft