The upward trend in wiring thefts - reported in Wednesday's Inquirer and attributed to the economic downturn - is only the most recent indication that there are plenty of otherwise legitimate businesses willing to accept stolen goods for resale or recycling.
The hot item, sometimes literally, appears to be the copper cables used in electric wiring.
Even though they could receive a life-threatening jolt, thieves are stripping wiring from power company substations, cell towers, other telephone installations, and along PATCO's rail lines, authorities say.
With scavengers dismantling fire hydrants as well, there's a danger that public safety could be impacted - beyond the nuisance factor of having to replace stolen parts. It's obvious that much of this theft would be far less of a problem if scrap-metal dealers and recycling companies turned away these items.
That's why police and businesses targeted by thieves actively try to discourage firms from trading in suspected stolen scrap-metal items, in addition to widely sharing information on stolen goods and improving the labeling of wiring and metal parts.
Scrap firms in the region say they're cooperating as a group, but clearly there must be too many of them that still don't ask enough questions when presented with scavenged items.
So, it appears that these thefts will continue to be a problem until police can find the resources to ratchet up scrutiny of suspected dealers of stolen scrap metal.
That step makes even more sense now, given economic pressures that might lead some recyclers to accept stolen items.
In the language of the so-called war on drugs, it's a case of getting scrap-metal bandits looking for quick cash to kick their thieving habit, thus forcing the dealers out of business.
