Copper thieves have been targeting construction sites all over Murfreesboro.

The number of cases has spiked recently with continued growth and construction in the city.

Murfreesboro police have placed a special watch on some of the construction sites because of the rash of copper thefts.

As soon as Roberto Pineda and his co-workers install copper piping, they find themselves doing the job all over again.

“It’s regular for us to replace the copper lines because they were stolen, but never happened to us like that seven houses in one day, you know,” Pineda said. “It’s kind of crazy.”

In a neighborhood on Leatherwood Drive in Murfreesboro, house, after house, after house was hit.

Copper piping ripped right out of the walls. Pineda and his crew are often backlogged because of the stolen copper.

“It’s kind of hard for us you know, to have to go back and redo it and we have to push back all the jobs for the next day because we have to come back and run the lines again,” Pineda said.

Copper thieves also stole 100 pounds of copper from a storage unit at Seigel High School where a new addition to the school is being added.

Thieves also broke into a storage trailer and stole a generator, saw, and other items at the new Mr. B’s Car wash under construction off Fortress Blvd.

They then went inside, looking for copper.

“They went into the building and cut out all the copper piping that was already installed and actually ready for all the fixtures to go in,” victim Anthony Rubiolo told News 2 by phone.

With so much copper being stolen, construction companies are worried it could continue happening.

“It definitely concerns me, it doesn’t necessarily surprise me,” Rubiolo said. “It’s been going on as long as construction has been going on probably.”

News 2 spoke with a worker from one company who said they have started to set up trail cameras in homes trying to catch the thieves.

The current cases are construction site thefts which have occurred after the workers have left.

“The best deterrent would be to have someone at the site to watch over the supplies, however, we know that can be cost prohibitive,” Murfreesboro Police spokesperson Officer Amy Norville said in an email. “Some sites have installed surveillance cameras to watch when workers are not on the property as well. Our officers patrol construction areas as they can, but with a fast growing city such as ours, construction sites are spread all over.”

Norville said residents can be the eyes and ears once workers have left for the day.

“If the site has existing neighbors, it would be a good idea for the construction manager to meet the neighbors and share their contact information in case the neighbors see any suspicious activity after normal work hours,” Norville said.

Norville also told News 2 laws about selling scrap metals changed a couple of years ago and greatly reduced the occurrences of these thefts.

She said these recent cases have been out of the ordinary and spiked in recent months.