Copyright 2008 Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News (Georgia)May 16 2008 Friday
SECTION:
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS
LENGTH:
653 words,
HEADLINE:
Copper is the new gold for thieves
BYLINE:
Aldo Nahed, Savannah Morning News, Ga.
BODY:
May 16--Seeing the price of copper steadily increase, Dennis Washington's uncle gave him anidea to make some extra cash.So this week, Washington and his buddy, Ryan Zickafoose, both 22, spent one morning goingto area construction sites to ask for any leftover copper wire.For three hours, they used razor blades to strip rubber insulation around the wire they weregiven and filled a bucket with 11 pounds of copper. In the afternoon, the college studentscollected about $36 at Savannah Recycling in the 4400 block of Tremont Road."It's a little bit of work," said Zickafoose, a Savannah Technical College student. "But it'sworth it."The price of copper -- about $3 a pound locally -- also has created new potential for crimes of opportunity among thieves, said Judy Pal, a Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman.She said crime prevention officers have been meeting with construction companies to makesure the owners have lockable windows and doors installed before they install copper pipingfor heating and air-conditioning units.Homeowners are advised to cage their outdoor air-conditioning units.Sam Sanders, who runs a business hooking up telephones and computers, said he no longerleaves copper at job sites overnight."If I went to a job site, I used to pull the older wires and throw it away," Sanders said. "I'vethrown millions of dollars away over the years."Sanders, who now collects the copper in his backyard and later sells it to scrap yards, saidcopper is being called "the new gold" on the streets.Some are so desperate for the metal, they risk their lives for a piece of it.Jerry Hayes was one of them.On Monday, Hayes, 40, was found dead near the Amtrak Station in the 2600 block of SeaportCoastline Drive.Metro police said it appears Hayes, who was homeless, climbed a light pole and was eitherelectrocuted or fell from the pole to his death.
News Reporthttps://secure.accurint.com/app/bps/report?EVENT=REPORT...1 of 21/15/09 3:04 PM
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