As Thieves Turn to Copper, Security Systems Follow

Sep. 3--Outside the Rev. Andre Spivey's church is the aftermath: wires cased in padlocked boxes. Air conditioners surrounded by chain link and wrought iron fences. Motion detectors and sirens and strobe lights.

They're all meant to ward off the thieves who have hit St. Paul AME Church nine times in as many months.

The target? Copper from wires and air conditioners.

Industry experts -- from Detroit Edison security heads to area law-enforcement agencies -- say that suddenly, everything copper is at risk: Air conditioners, power lines, even the inner workings of fire hydrants.

Police and prosecutors say the sporadic copper thefts of the past have turned epidemic since this spring. That's likely because the price continues to rise and offers the temptation of fast cash for people trying to make a buck in a down economy. At $2.50 or more a pound, the copper taken from the church on Hunt Street in Detroit is valued in the thousands. So far, the losses have cost the church about $20,000 -- on top of the $40,000 its insurance company has paid for both the copper replacement and repairs.

"I knew that pastoring in the city would be a challenge," Spivey said. "But I thought it'd be about revitalizing the city and drawing people in. I never thought it'd be to protect us from copper thieves."

National epidemic

While other scrap metal also is stolen, copper is the gold standard, selling for some four times the 60 cents a pound aluminum gets. The problem is nationwide.

And it's a major concern for law enforcement officials.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said thefts from utility poles could knock out power lines to hospitals or wipe out communication systems, causing 911 calls to go unanswered, for instance.