South Carolina Targets Copper Theft

South Carolina law enforcement officers and insurers hope a new state law will cut down on thieves destroying air-conditioning units, farm equipment and other property to sell the copper inner parts for scrap.

No law can eliminate a crime, said state Sheriff’s Association director Jeff Moore, but his hope is that it cuts insurance claims in half.

As of Aug. 17, scrap copper sellers and recyclers must have permits from their local sheriff to legally sell or buy the metal. To buy, metal recyclers must make a copy of a seller’s permit. They also must record information on each sale, including the seller’s photograph and license plate number, the date and amount paid, and a description of the metal. The law also bars cash for copper. Payments must be by check, providing further record of the transaction.

Copper theft calls have become frequent in counties across the state, as the metal’s rising value made it easy money for petty thieves and drug addicts. But investigating the crime is difficult, especially if thieves melt the metal before selling it to remove any identifiers, officers say.

“Unless it’s a specific item you won’t find anywhere else, it’s pretty tough,” Marlboro County Lt. Steve Akers said. “Anything will help. At least this gives us a database of folks dealing with copper.”

Thieves often collect less than $100, after destroying property worth thousands of dollars.

The average cost to replace a church’s loss for busted air conditioning units is $6,000, said Matthew Quinton of Southern Mutual Church Insurance Co., which began tracking copper thefts separately in 2006.

In 2007, the company paid out $1.2 million in copper theft claims in 2010. Through July this year, claims had already climbed to more than $1.1 million, Quinton said.