3 ms·
when the price of copper went through the roof a few years ago the local drug houses in Dallas started accepting it as payment for drugs. They would then sell t
by chasd00 3y ago
when the price of copper went through the roof a few years ago the local drug houses in Dallas started accepting it as payment for drugs. They would then sell the metal to scrap yards at a profit. Once that was up and running any copper left unguarded was gone instantly. Air conditioners were gone, wiring in new construction was gone, wiring in rent houses was gone, any copper anywhere was stolen constantly. I remember seeing people pushing shopping carts in Old East Dallas filled with copper cables, pipes, and other stuf.
There was a story probably once a month about someone breaking into a power substation or some other high voltage area to try and steal copper and electrocuting themselves.
- mmmuhd 3y ago[dead]
- SoftTalker 3y agoMy local scrapyard requires a photo ID before they will pay for anything other than aluminum cans. Doesn't seem like a complicated solution.
- thfuran 3y agoAnd it's a good thing that fake IDs are illegal so criminals can't circumvent that kind of thing.
- supertrope 3y agoMetal thieves who are exchanging wiring for cash for drugs are even more impulsive than other street criminals. Sometimes raising the bar a bit can make a big difference.
- chasd00 3y agothat's what started to turn the tide (along with falling prices) the police started cracking down on scrap yards buying obviously stolen property.
- throwway120385 3y agoAround here most of them require an electrical or plumbing contractor's license to sell that stuff. There's an online system to verify the license, and one of the conditions of the license is purchasing a bond and insurance.