Thieves broke into a muffler shop in Chillicothe, Ohio, and stole cash  and 130 catalytic converters. Pervasive thefts of copper wire from under the streets of Fresno, Calif., have prompted the city to seal thousands of its manhole covers with concrete. And in Picher, Okla., someone felled the town’s utility poles with chain saws, allowing thieves to abscond with 3,000 feet of wire while causing a blackout.

Near-record prices for copper, platinum, aluminum and other metals have spurred a resurgence in the past several months in the theft of common items that in better economic times might be overlooked  among them, catalytic converters from automobiles and copper wiring that is being stripped out of overhead power lines, tornado warning sirens, coal mines and foreclosed homes, where thieves sometimes tear down walls to get to copper pipes and wiring. The thieves then make quick money by selling the items to scrap yards.

The thefts have proved difficult to stop for overmatched law enforcement agencies and have been a costly nuisance to public utilities, which have been forced to spend millions of dollars on repairs and security.

From Hawaii to Florida, thieves have electrocuted themselves and caused electrical and telephone failures and street light blackouts. Many municipalities, which have been hard hit by budget deficits, have been unable to afford repairs.