Stealing railroad tracks for the metal

[K6JEK]

It's not just copper that's being stolen.  Get a load of this.  Some wonderful example of humankind took a chunk out of an active railroad track causing a derailment. 

http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/business_news/x530602459/Police-investigate-theft-of-railroad-tracks-in-Taunton-today-train-derailed

[KA0HCP]

Give them time and they'll steal a locomotive!

[K2PG]

A few days ago, a would-be metal thief was turned into a crispy critter near Wilkes-Barre, PA. He was trying to steal power lines that he thought were abandoned, since they led to a closed factory. He hit a 13 kV primary!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

[K5UJ]

No, it is not just copper getting stolen.  All metals are high in scrap value.   Part of the reason is emerging and rapidly maturing economies in India and China resulting in a very large demand there for domestic manufacturing and construction.   These two countries need a lot of metal and they have the money to pay for it.  The same is true for oil, but in the case of metal, steel and aluminum are high in scrap value also.   I've read reports of weird things happening like theft of road guard rails, and lamp poles in rural areas that are not covered much by police, aluminum siding... 

This is why the general cost of hardware is high and hams go into sticker shock over just about any antenna project, if they have not put anything up in a long time.   

[k4kyv]

Give them time and they'll steal a locomotive!

Remember the story a couple of years ago someone stole a standing 120' tower from the site. The owner didn't know it till he came out to the property and the tower was missing. The remaining stubs of guy anchors looked like they had been cut with a torch.

[kb3wbb]

They just arrested three ding dongs from New Jersey for stealing military cemetery markers and vases, 380 to be exact. The recycle center turned them in.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/South-Jersey-Women-Steal-Military-Grave-Markers-Cops-.html

Larry

[K6JEK]

They just arrested three ding dongs from New Jersey for stealing military cemetery markers and vases, 380 to be exact. The recycle center turned them in.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/South-Jersey-Women-Steal-Military-Grave-Markers-Cops-.html

Larry

I have heard the phrase "meth head recyclers".  I bet those three ladies qualify for the title.

[DMOD]

Just a few days some turds stole the front panel off of our Emergency Management Repeater cabinet. That was the only thing taken.

They had to tresspass over 300 yards to a barn where the repeater was enclosed and cut very large bolts and padlocks.

Sheriff suspected methheads as well.

Phil - AC0OB

[Ken - K2UPI]

Around here a local heavy truck fleet (200+ units) became the target of our scrapping mud muffins.  When a mechanic went out to see why the rigs wouldn't start....all cables were missing from the batteries to the starters...they never seem to run out of ideas.

Ken--K2UPI

[The Slab Bacon]

Yea but, you know the irony of it all is that those a$$holes will work harder to steal a buck than they would to make it honestly! ! ! ! ! !  It is really a shame what our society is becoming  

[Ed/KB1HYS]

I would have compassion and understanding for a man who steals bread (or what ever) to feed his family, but none at all for someone who steals so they can get their next fix...

Most states don't allow lethal force in defense of personal property, maybe that should change.

[K2PG]

Here in Luzerne County, PA, someone was stealing brass grave markers and flag holders from the graves of veterans. Nothing is lower than stealing from the dead, especially if the deceased died in service to the country. Some of those markers dated back to World War II.

A couple of years ago, someone stole the ground system under my folded unipole antenna in New Jersey. I fired up the station by remote control one night, saw grossly abnormal line current going into the ATU, and could barely hear my carrier. Upon visiting the site, I found some $350 worth of copper strap and radial wire missing. I replaced the missing radials with barbed wire and the system works well. Since barbed wire has no resale value, I have not had any more problems. WOR did that around 1972, when copper prices spiked and thieves stole $6,000 worth of copper wire from their transmitter site. The NJ State Police did catch my copper thief. The thief left a piece of strap behind and I gave that to the detective, who found out who was fencing it.

[WD8BIL]

Last spring I took 850Lbs of scrap iron to the yard and got 5 cents/pound.
This spring cleaning yielded 662 lbs, mostly chain link fencing, and netted 9.5 cents/pound.
A doubling in prices brings out many!

[k4kyv]

The NJ State Police did catch my copper thief. The thief left a piece of strap behind and I gave that to the detective, who found out who was fencing it.

Did you get any restitution or get your copper back?

They ought to make the guy pay for new copper at current prices, and then make him manually re-install the radials to your satisfaction under your supervision, before they tick the first day off his sentence.

[K2PG]

Did you get any restitution or get your copper back?

They ought to make the guy pay for new copper at current prices, and then make him manually re-install the radials to your satisfaction under your supervision, before they tick the first day off his sentence.

No, no restitution. And the copper probably ended up somewhere in China or India. The thieves had been stealing copper plumbing from the outdoor showers of beach houses on Long Beach Island in the fall, when my copper was stolen.

I replaced the copper with barbed wire. It works quite well in a radial system and it has close to zero resale value.

[k4kyv]

So if the thieves didn't get off the hook with "pre-trial diversion", the taxpayers end up paying their room and board for the duration of their sentence, and the victim gets nothing, s.o.l. You could file a civil suit to recover damages, but you can't get blood out of a stone, and justice (lawyer and court fees) is a commodity that is bought and sold for a price for those who can afford it.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

The only folks who win in lawsuits are the lawyers...   People in jail ought to be put to work doing something, anything, to help earn their keep.  Who knows, maybe some good old fashioned hard work ethic would rub off and it'd reduce recidivism. 

[WD8BIL]

People in jail ought to be put to work doing something, anything, to help earn their keep.

Cruel and inhumane punishment, ED?
What's next.... water boarding...... bamboo sprouts under the fingernails...... NO MTV???

[The Slab Bacon]

Cruel and inhumane punishment, ED?
What's next.... water boarding...... bamboo sprouts under the fingernails...... NO MTV???

Being forced to eat Spam! ! 

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Hey... some people LIKE Spam

[KB2WIG]

spam egg sausage and spam?

[WB3JOK]

That's not got much spam in it...
...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam. 

[K2PG]

That's not got much spam in it...
...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.  

I'll stick to good, old American food...Spam fried with eggs...although Taylor Ham (pork roll, a New Jersey specialty) is preferable to the Spam. Taylor Ham with eggs and cheese on a hard roll (kaiser roll), washed down with a cup of strong coffee...that is the ultimate Jersey breakfast. As for the other stuff: If I can't pronounce it, I don't want to eat it! No Blattes Frites avec Sauce au Vin et Beurre for me!

[W7TFO]

Scrap in Phoenix is a bit over $200/ton.  #1 copper brings around $3/lb.

I've been at a yard selling my junk and seen people drive in cars & trucks for scrap.  Yep, they drove it in under it's own power and sold it.

It is also causing all the neat old AZ rust-free iron to be hauled off, not much left for the restorers or rodders.

Some scrap yards here have flashing neon signs now to convince you to sell to them....

Crazy.

73DG

[N0WEK]

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/124790519.html


Blaine man burned in attempted 2009 copper theft charged

    * Article by: JOY POWELL , Star Tribune
    * Updated: July 1, 2011 - 1:07 AM

David P. Stachowiak, set on fire when allegedly trying to steal wiring from Eagan power substation, is one of three facing charges.

   
The power went out for about 15 seconds at the Eagan police station, and then the dispatchers got the report: A man was on fire.

Officers soon came upon a power outage just west of Pilot Knob Road and then a man in scorched clothes, in severe pain with burns. They got him to a hospital, then to jail.

Court papers say David P. Stachowiak, 34, of Blaine, had been trying to steal copper wiring at a power substation in December when he accidentally used himself to complete a circuit. He was thrown through the air and set on fire while knocking out power to homes and businesses, court documents say.

Charges filed this week in Dakota County District Court accuse Stachowiak and two other suspects of causing at least $80,000 in losses to a Dakota Electric substation just off Pilot Knob Road on Dec. 23, 2009.

Also charged were Brad J. Krekelberg, 33, and Alanna L. Magnuson, 30, both of St. Paul.

Magnuson later told police that she and the men had been involved in a string of such thefts. She said she sometimes served as a "scout" and would cash the checks from salvage yards where they'd sold the metal, a complaint says.

A St. Paul recycling plant employee to whom police showed photos of the suspects said they had sold more than 4,000 pounds of copper wire since 2008, the court papers say.

Magnuson told police that when Stachowiak had accidentally completed the circuit, he was launched 15 feet in the air, hit the ground, then ran 40 yards or so to the corner of the fence. He climbed 10 feet and fell back to the ground, still on fire.

She also told police that some copper in the trunk of the vehicle was from a prior theft that night at a cellphone tower.

The trio face three felony counts: theft or damage to telecommunications or energy transmission equipment, first-degree criminal damage to property and possession of burglary tools.

Joy Powell • 952-882-9017