COPS AND ROBBERS?? NO, IT IS COPS LOOKING FOR COPPER THIEVES
MARTIN COUNTY, KY. SHERIFF OFFICE RESPONDING TO RECENT MAJOR INCREASE OF COPPER THEFT CASES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023 – written by WADE QUEEN
In the past several months, the Martin County Sheriff Office has seen numerous cases of copper theft across the county, with the sheriff office arresting 13 suspects in the last few months.
“It may be in Tomahawk tonight, tomorrow night it might be in Pigeon Roost,” said Martin County Sheriff John H. Kirk. “There’s just so many doing it. When you have people getting by with it, they see their buddy getting by with it, then they start doing it.”
Sheriff John Kirk said people are getting the copper through cable and phone lines.
Sheriff Kirk said people are cutting the lines, retrieving the copper and then selling it to scrap yards for up to $4 a pound.
“With what they’re making, they might be making $200 or $300 off the copper they steal tonight, but it might cost the phone company $10,000 or $15,000 to put it back,” said Sheriff Kirk.
This can ultimately cause customers to pay more for their bill, but it can also cost people in the area much more than that.
“My chief deputy was there investigating an elderly man who has a lot of health issues, he actually broke down and cried and he said, ‘I don’t have access to a phone. I’m a sick man and I don’t have access to a phone and I’m afraid that if they keep cutting our phone lines, that when I need an ambulance, I’ll die before they get here,’” Kirk said.
Those with the Martin County Sheriff Office said, without the manpower to fully assess this issue, they need help from the community.
“If they see anything suspicious, anybody around power lines that are not marked AT&T, AEP, or a power company, that look like they’re tampering with or cutting the lines to call us immediately,” said Chris Kidd, who is the Martin County Sheriff Office Chief Deputy.
Law enforcement officials said this responsibility also falls on the scrap yards. If they fail to report someone trying to sell stolen copper, Sheriff John Kirk said there will be consequences for them as well.
Giving the serious gravity and the recent significant rises in the theft and destruction of power lines and telephone lines; in a major revealing statement, Sheriff John Kirk stated that he had been in contact with the FBI as well in regards to this ongoing issue, with Sheriff Kirk saying he is looking to see if the copper thefts can be considered as a form of domestic terrorism, which could dramatically affect how people are charged with these specific crimes.
One of the most republican county in KY and one of the most dependent on government money
That’s an ignorant statement
My question is what’s the use of arresting them if the judge is just going to slap them on the wrist and say don’t do it again. Put their butts in jail and then put them on a road side clean up crew an make them wear a sign that says I’m a copper thief.
The scrap yard places are in on it. You can’t tell me that the same people showing up with the same copper every time doesn’t set off red flags. Or, the same person showing up with catalytic converters all the time is normal. Start arresting the workers and owners of these scrap yards and that would put a stop to it. They like it because they are just paying pennies on the dollar.