How Bad Is It?

Thieves Steal 175,000 Feet Of Copper Wire From Overhead Lights On I-95

"Rising copper prices and a bad economy are giving thieves reason to rob Interstate-95 of its copper wiring, used in overhead lights.

According to CBS Miami, the larceny of over 175,000 feet of copper wire has rendered useless the lighting over a 33-mile stretch of Palm Beach County. The thievery has taken place over the last six months in 18 separate locations.

"Obviously, the economy has driven this," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Tim Frith said, referring to the recent increase in this criminal activity. "It does present itself as a kind of crime of convenience."

Palm Beach County isn't the only stretch of I-95 where this is a problem. The South Carolina legislature recently enacted the "Copper Theft Bill", which looks to curb copper theft and make it easier to track scrap metal transactions."

My gut feeling is that copper will eventually rival silver as a precious metal, for lots of reasons.