Copper thefts cost JNEC members money
By SHARON KERR Staff writer

Copper theft isn't new; it's been in the news since copper prices doubled two years ago, but most Jasper County residents don't realize what it costs them personally.

Jeff Chambliss, director of engineering for the Jasper Newton Electric Co-op, says there have been nine incidences since August, where thieves cut ground wires to steal the copper at substations.

"They may get $200 worth of scrap copper, but it costs JNEC five or six thousand dollars in repairs," Chambliss said.

"And what really worries us is that cutting these ground lines may energize something else in the substation, something at touching height, and you can't see electricity. It endangers our people," Chambliss said.

"When stealing copper, two bad things can happen- you can get caught, and you can die from electrocution," according to News.com, which fails to mention you may kill someone else, too.

Nationwide, quite a few would-be thieves have been electrocuted trying to steal copper from ground wires or trying to pull copper off the poles.

Lt. Paul Tomplait of the Jasper County Sheriff's Department is handling the cases, but he would like to have citizens' help in catching the thieves. Anyone with information can call the sheriff's office at 384-5417 or they can anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 724-TIPS (8477).

"This is a community problem, not an individual problem, and you'd think people would want to help. It's their electricity that will be out, and their electric bill that will have to go up," Tomplait said.

Chambliss said, depending on what kind of damage the thieves do, service can be interrupted quite a while.

"Some things they cut, or if they damage the generator, it would result in a lengthy outage," Chambliss said. "And we are a small, non-profit entity, so the costs of repair ultimately are paid by our members."

The incidents at the substations have taken place after dark. The thieves cut the fence and go in, so what citizens can watch for is an unknown vehicle parked near a substation late at night. Chambliss said it would also help if people pay attention to who is working on or around utility poles as well.

"All our people either have JNEC identification or Osmose (an outside contractor doing inspections). If they see anyone else, it would be a good idea to call our office, 423-2241, and report what you've seen," Chambliss said.