Thieves take $25K worth copper

Police say someone has stolen $25,000 dollars worth of copper from a Columbus synagogue. The Columbus Ledger-Inquirer reports an official at Shearith Isreal Synagogue noticed the copper gutters were missing Monday when the roof began leaking from heavy rains. A few weeks ago a nearby church reported someone for trying to steal copper gutters and downspouts. Thefts are on the rise across Georgia because the price of copper is rising.

Copper thieves strike radio station

A middle Georgia radio station is back to broadcasting after copper thieves knocked it off air. An engineer with rock station Q106 says the thief or thieves stripped copper from the station’s air conditioner, generator, transfer switch, and took all the electronics. The station in south Bibb County went off air around 9 yesterday morning and wasn’t back up until the afternoon. This is the third time in two months the station has been hit by a copper theft. The value of copper has increased in recent years, making it more attractive to thieves.

Copper theft plague continues

Copper theft continues to plague Georgia as the price of copper rises. Now a northwest Georgia county wants new state laws to crack down on thieves who steal copper from homes, construction sites and businesses. The Daily Tribune reports that investigators in Bartow County say copper thefts would go down if the state started regulating scrap metal dealers. Now, dealers offer cash for copper and other scrap metal, but don’t record much information about the seller. Investigators say the cash-only system allows thieves anonymity.

Supected copper thieves strike in Savannah

Two suspected copper thieves have been arrested in Savannah. Earlier today a maintenance worker spotted David Sutherland and William Stokes along some railroad tracks near where signaling problems had been reported. Sutherland and Stokes fled into the woods, but were caught by Savannah-Chatham police. Officers recovered between 50 and 100 pounds of copper wire that had been ripped down nearby. A police dog linked Sutherland's scent to a tool used to steal the wire. Detectives are trying to determine if the two men are linked to other copper thefts.