LAWTON – City officials are considering ways to crack down on copper theft.
After hearing a Feb. 13 report on copper theft from Assistant Police Chief Eric Carter, the Lawton City Council directed city staff to draft an ordinance addressing the problem and bring it back to the council for approval.
Scrap metal prices The city typically sees more cases of copper theft when the price of certain scrap metals, including copper and copper mixtures, goes up, Carter said. He said copper prices are not at their peak right now, but they are definitely higher than they were in the past.
Carter said he thought the current economy, combined with moderate copper prices, is fueling an increase in copper thefts.
“For example, when air conditioner innards are stolen and scrapped out, that person is going to get, probably, $200 at max for it,” he said. “The homeowner is going to have to spend a couple of thousand dollars to get that replaced.”
Carter said the Lawton Police Department reported 89 copper-related thefts in 2023 and has reported nine cases so far this year. He said he thought the current number was extremely low, considering that scrap dealers are seeing more foot traffic than usual.
Councilman George Gill said three or four years ago, the council required the police department to check on scrapyards and make sure they complied with rules for buying scrap metal. But he said he had spoken to a couple of scrap dealers, who said they hadn’t been checked on in years.
“If we’re not even going in there and checking them, like on a weekly basis or every three days or whatever, then they’re just laughing at us,” he said. “So my question to you is, ‘what can the police department do about it?’” Carter said detectives do check on scrapyards when a dealer contacts them, but people who sell stolen items to a scrapyard take steps to ensure the items can’t be identified.
“When these items get down there, they’re not identifiable by anybody,” he said. Proof of ownership Councilman Kelly Harris said an Oklahoma City ordinance bars scrap dealers from buying certain items, including manhole covers and catalytic converters, unless the seller shows proof of ownership.
“I think there’s some good things that we can borrow off this and address those issues,” he said.