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'Epidemics require strong responses,' OKC taking harder look at copper wire thefts Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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EVAN: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE MEANING OF FRUSTRATION, JUST BRING UP COPPER THEFT AROUND A CITY OFFICIAL, OR A TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL, OR A UTILITIES OFFICIAL, OR A POLICE OFFICER. ALL OF THEM, PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT OVER A PROBLEM COSTING COMPANIES AND TAXPAYERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THIEVES HIT LOCAL HIGHWAYS HARD IN RECENT MONTHS TURNING OUT THE LIGHTS ON PARTS OF I-40 AND I-35, I-44, AND ON ONE STRETCH OF 235, A WHOPPING 25,000 FEET OF COPPER WIRE WAS RIPPED OUT OF LIGHT POLES. THAT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF 83 FOOTBALL FIELDS. BUT AS WE ALL LOOK FOR A SOLUTION, WHO DO WE BLAME -- THE THIEVES, OR THE BUSINESSES BUYING THEIR STOLEN WIRE? THE EVIDENCE IS EVERYWHERE. >> IT HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM THE STREETLIGHT. EVAN: MORE THAN 13 MILES OF COPPER WIRE HAS BEEN STOLEN IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS IN THE METRO. >> THIS ONE HAS BEEN DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THE THEFT. EVAN: SCOTT POPE IS A DETECTIVE WITH THE OKC P.D. METAL THEFT UNIT. HE SAYS STOPPING THE THIEVES IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. >> THEY CAN BE ALARMED, THEY CAN HAVE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, THEY’VE GOT 8-FOOT FENCE WITH BARBED WIRE ON TOP, THEY’VE DONE ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO. EVAN: TAKING US ON A TOUR -- NOTHING IS SPARED. CELL TOWERS SILENT. STREETLIGHTS, DARK. COPPER’S BEEN STOLEN FROM THIS POLE AND MOST OF THE POLES ON DOWN THE BOULEVARD. AND THIS CONTROL SITE FOR OIL AND GAS DRILLING, DAMAGED SO BADLY IT MAY NEVER OPERATE >> -- OPERATE AGAIN. >> THE DAMAGE TO THIS LOCATION, THIS SINGLE LOCATION IS SE$VERAL -- IS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS. EVAN: COPPER THEFT IS SO OUT OF CONTROL IT HAS CITY AND INDUSTRY LEADERS USING A NEW WORD TO DESCRIBE IT, EPIDEMIC. OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR DAVID HOLT SAYS HE’S BEEN OVERRUN WITH PHONE CALLS. PEOPLE FRUSTRATED ABOUT DARK STREETS. >> WE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT MEETING ANYONE’S EXPECTATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO FIXING THESE LIGHTS BUT IT’S A UNIQUE CHALLENGE, AND THAT NEEDED TO BE ARTICULATED, AND WE NEEDED A UNIQUE RESPONSE. EVAN: BUT IF YOU CAN’T CATCH THE THIEVES, THEN HOW DO YOU STOP IT? THE CITY HAS A NEW STRATEGY . INSTEAD OF ATTACKING THE PROBLEM FROM THIS END. YOU TURN IT AROUND AND GO AFTER IT FROM THE OTHER SIDE. THAT MEANS TARGETING THE PEOPLE BUYING THE STOLEN COPPER. MAYOR HOLT SAYS HE WAS SHOCKED AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN LATE MARCH, WHEN HE LEARNED THAT IT IS AGAINST STATE LAW FOR METAL RECYCLERS TO BUY THE EXACT TYPE OF WIRE BEING STOLEN OUT OF STREET LIGHTS. >> SO HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THESE PEOPLE SELLING 13 MILES WORTH OF FOUR GAUGE COPPER WIRE WHEN IT IS ILLEGAL? >> THERE ARE A LOT OF RECYCLERS WHO WILL TAKE IT. EVAN: POLICE CHIEF BILL CITTY SAYS AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION ENDED WITH 9 OUT OF OKLAHOMA CITY’S THIRTEEN METAL RECYCLERS CITED FOR BREAKING LOCAL OR STATE LAW, INCLUDING BUYING THE TYPES OF COPPER WIRE BEING PULLED OUT OF STREET LIGHTS AND CELL PHONE TOWERS. WE WANTED TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT A TRANSACTION LOOKED LIKE, SO WE TOOK SOME METAL THAT’S LEGAL FOR RECYCLERS TO BUY AND A HIDDEN CAMERA TO CHECK IT OUT. >> DO YOU ALL KNOW THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER ON YOUR PICKUP BY CHANCE? >> UH, NO I DON’T I GUESS I COULD GO GET IT. >> RECYCLERS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO KEEP DETAILED FILES, INCLUDING THE LICENSE PLATE WHICH WE GAVE THEM. ONCE IT WAS WEIGHED, WE HAD TO SHOW I.D., WHICH WAS SCANNED INTO A COMPUTER BEFORE WE GOT OUR MONEY, ABOUT $25. >> DON’T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE. EVAN: THIS PLACE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. >> WE WORK WITH THE RECYCLERS DAILY TO ENSURE THAT THEY’RE FOLLOWING STATE LAW. EVAN: OKC P.D. HAS ADDED A SECOND OFFICER TO THEIR METAL THEFT UNIT. A METAL RECYCLER WE SPOKE WITH SAYS THEY KNOW THEY ARE BEING WATCHED, AND ARE HAPPY TO PLAY BY THE RULES. >> OUR GUYS, THEY’RE PRETTY GOOD, THEY’RE REALLY GOOD ACTUALLY ABOUT ASKING QUESTIONS. EVAN: AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY IS PAYING FOR PRICEY ANTI-THEFT DEVICES ON HIGHWAY LIGHTS. AND OG&E IS SLOWLY REPLACING MUCH OF THE COPPER WIRE WITH ALUMINUM, WHICH IS NOT NEARLY AS VALUABLE. THE CITY AND OG&E SAY IT WILL MEET WEEKLY, UNTIL THE EPIDEMIC IS OVER. A YEAR FROM NOW, I THINK WE’RE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION. >> AND WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO KEEP HAVING THESE PRESENTATIONS AT COUNCIL EVERY TWO WEEKS. JESSICA: SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A PLAN GOING FORWARD. EPIDEMIC IS A STRONG WORD. SWITCHING TO ALUMINUM NOW. EVAN: THE PROBLEM IS, EVEN IF YOU SWITCH TO ALUMINUM, YVES MAY NOT KNOW IT’S ALUMINUM SO THAT WILL KILL STICK -- SO THEY WILL STILL CUT IT OPEN, SO THE CITY IS PUTTING STICKERS ON A LIGHT POLES SAYING, THERE IS ALUMINUM IN HERE, NOT COPPE