Having trouble with your electricity? Thank the copper thieves
It sounds like the beginning of a joke but it’s not. You know times are bad when: people are desperate enough to steel copper fitting from live electric wires.
Several electric companies across the state of Georgia , including Georgia Power, Electric Cities of Georgia, Oglethorpe Power are offering a $500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of someone stealing metals from utility properties including utility poles, substations and lines.
Whatever smart grid technologies await us in the future, electricity is still going to transmitted over power lines. Those power lines and associated substations will continue to use various metals. Stealing those metals is dangerous for far more reasons than simply the fear of arrest.
Those stupid enough or desperate enough to risk electrocution just to steal copper and other metals off of live power lines are also putting utility workers at risk. Unfortunately, hard financial times lead to stupid moves.
A $500 reward may not seem like much incentive but lately that might offer one more month of warmth or another month or two of groceries for people caught in the current economic crisis.
A special hotline has been set up for information and anyone that sees suspicious activity or who can offer concrete information like a license tag or description of a vehicle or person should call in. The utilities request that anyone with information call 911 and then call the hotline: 1-877-732-8717.
Not only are utility companies providing a reward and hotline, but they are also working with scrap metal recyclers to stop the damage to lines and thefts of needed materials.
Troubled times lead to troubling behavior but some activities are so dangerous or lead to such danger for others that it goes beyond a prank or minor crime. Damaging power lines is one such activity.
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February 14th, 2009
$500 is FAR less than the costs if someone WERE to be electrocuted while pulling such a stupid stunt. And of course then the utility would probably have ti defend its against the frivolous lawsuit of the family of the deceased, claiming the utility was liable making it so that the person COULD be electrocuted.
February 14th, 2009
Otherwise known as culling the herd.