As the price of metal goes up, so does the number of thefts of items like copper from homes and platinum from vehicles, officials say.
Sgt. D.W. Miller Jr., with the West Virginia State Police Princeton Detachment, said the state police have noticed an increase in metal thefts as the market price of metal continues to rise.
“Basically, any type of metal can be targeted,” Miller said. “Metal prices are going up with platinum and copper being the highest. People will take appliances, junk cars, just about everything. In a week, we have about six to eight metal theft related calls.”
Miller said police have seen entire vehicles towed away from the side of the road for scrap metal.
“A lot of times, if someone breaks down on the side of the road, they come along with a lowjack and tow the entire car off,” Miller said. “They basically take the whole car. Even the price on junk cars has gone up. If there is a car on the side of the road for more than a day, someone will come and pick it up for scrap.”
Platinum from catalytic convertors is another item Miller said thieves are frequently after.
“A lot of catalytic convertors are reported tampered with,” he said. “We have a big problem with them due to the high price of platinum, and they’re very easy to mess with. They’ll take a battery-powered hand saw, zip them off, and be gone in a matter of seconds. Basically, if they’re going to take metal from a car, it’s going to be the catalytic convertors, if they don’t end up taking the entire car.”
Miller said the amount of metal in catalytic convertors isn’t much, though an ounce of platinum is worth quite a sum.
“Most of the time, they sell the cars to junk dealers, who can haul it off to other states to cash in for more money,” Miller said. “Platinum is selling at around $1,000 an ounce, so it’s quite lucrative. Of course, there isn’t enough platinum in a single catalytic convertor to get much of anything. ”
According to Miller, those caught attempting to steal metals from cars are often given fines or jail time.
“It’s a misdemeanor,” he said. “They can get a fine up to a year in jail.
Gold is another lucrative metal, though Miller said there haven’t been many gold thefts reported lately in the area.
“We haven’t seen a rise in it, but we do know most jewelry thieves go straight to the pawn shop,” Miller said.
Miller said there are some precautions residents and vehicle owners can take to prevent their homes or cars from being targeted.
“For cars, you can’t really tell anything’s been tampered with until you start it up and hear the exhaust has been cut,” he said. “People can look for damage to fencing as an indicator. Even if the car is right out in the open or in someone’s yard, they can just wake up to find the metal is gone. If you have an old house or property with copper in it, check it more closely to make sure it’s secure. Instead of checking it once or twice a week, you might want to check it once or twice a day. There isn’t a whole lot you can do, unfortunately.”
Bluefield Police Chief J.W. “Joe” Wilson said the Bluefield Police Department hasn’t seen an increase in thefts lately, but officers are keeping an eye out as prices on metals climb.
“A year ago, catalytic converter theft was a big thing, but recently, we haven’t had but one attempt reported in the past month,” Wilson said. “Metal prices are up and we do see a lot of people hauling metal. We haven’t seen an increase in thefts yet, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one.”
Wilson said reports of copper theft continue to remain steady.
“The copper theft is about the same,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot come through or seen a big increase. Still, with prices going up, we could see a bigger jump soon.”
Though there hasn’t been a jump in jewelry thefts in the area, Wilson said there are ways for police to track down gold or jewelry thieves.
“When companies come in to buy gold, they give us a list of who’s selling it to them and how much they’re selling,” Wilson said. “We can keep and eye on things that way.”
Wilson said alert neighbors are the main reason they are able to catch copper thieves.
“In most instances, it takes neighbors to be alert and report it,” Wilson said. “If anyone sees suspicious activity, they need to let us know. We often can’t tell the difference between a thief and a homeowner, so we need help from the community. If you have metals, keep an eye on them. Thieves like to target abandoned houses or ones being refurbished. You can also lock up things of value.”
There are precautions Wilson said owners can take to deter thieves from targeting their vehicle.
“People can try to park it in safer places, somewhere with good lighting or where you can keep a better eye on it,” Wilson said. “Still, catalytic converter theft can happen in your driveway, in a public parking lot, and just about anywhere.”
Most importantly, Wilson said citizens need to report any suspicious person or incidents to their local law enforcement.
“If you suspect your car or residence has been tampered with, give us a call,” Wilson said.
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