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Last Updated: Feb 15, 2010 - 2:25 PM |
Polk County law enforcement officials are joining forces with area farmers to combat the theft of copper wire from pivot sprinklers in the area.
According to Polk County Sheriff Dwaine Ladwig, their office has received 14 calls concerning the theft of copper wire during the past several months.
Reports of pivot wire being stripped have been filed by farmers in Gresham, Polk, Shelby and Osceola.
The spike in the thefts has increased dramatically since scrap copper prices have risen to around $3.50 per pound—a 400 percent increase since 2001.
Almost all of the copper wire thefts occur during the night. Thieves target pivots which are stopped near a county road compared to those ending up in the field away from an entrance. They cut the wire underneath the pivot tower so the wire hangs down to the ground. They then hook it up to a vehicle such as a pickup or a 4-wheeler and pull it from the pivot. On an average pivot, there is anywhere from 140’ to 210’ of copper wire from tower to tower, and pivots average around seven towers each.
The wire nets around $400 for the thieves for about 30 minutes to an hour of work. The aftermath of a single theft costs farmers an average of $5,000 for repairs. In the past few months, the sheriff’s office has received reports of thieves hitting not only the sprinklers, but also other heavy equipment with copper wiring such as battery cables or radiators.
Once thieves strip the wire from the sprinklers, they douse them with gasoline or diesel and light them on fire. This strips the insulation off, which allows them to get a higher price for the wire.
“By doing this, it makes it very difficult for us to trace the wire back to where it was stolen,” Sheriff Ladwig said.
According to an area pivot dealer, most copper wire thefts occur after harvest when there are no crops in the field. Farmers are reminded to stop their pivots in a rear part of the field away from a county road to avoid potential theft.
Pivot manufacturers are currently working on anti-theft tactics which will hopefully deter thieves from stealing pivot wiring in the future.
Polk County Crimestoppers, a county-wide organization, will pay a cash reward for information that leads to the solving of this crime. A $1000 cash reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the subjects responsible for this crime.
If anyone has any information on this or any other crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 747-2244. All information is confidential.
© Copyright 2008 by polkcountynewspaper.com
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