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Tampa Police Seek Copper Thieves

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By CHRIS ECHEGARAY
and VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 8, 2007

VIDEOS: target ="_new">WFLA Peter Bernard Report | target ="_new">Unedited Surveillance Video

TAMPA - Police are looking for thieves who carried out 4,000 square feet of copper wiring and a pressure washer from Murray Electric Inc. last month.

Four suspects were caught on a security camera at the business at 8006 N. Orleans Ave. The theft occurred at 4 a.m. on Oct. 19.

Footage shows teams of two men carrying out big spools of copper wire. They also sized up a pressure washer and tried to put it on a hand truck, but it was too heavy, so they took another, smaller pressure washer.

The thieves placed the $23,000 worth of copper in a 1990s model Ford F150, police said.

Copper thefts and thefts of all kinds of precious metals are becoming a problem, Cpl. Jared Douds said.

The robbers caught on surveillance video in this case had "little regard" for the security cameras, he said.

Copper is tough to trace, Douds said. Some construction sites will order too much and resell it to be reimbursed. Other resellers "just really don't care" if the copper is stolen or not, he said.

Anyone with copper or machinery with copper parts (such as air conditioning units) should take extra care to keep an eye on them.

"Recognize that you have criminals who are going to target something you wouldn't otherwise target," Douds said

Anyone with information should contact Tampa police at (813) 231-3200.

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