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Feb 8, 2008 6:46 pm US/Eastern
Scrap Metal Becomes Hot Target For Local Thieves
LAWRENCE, Mass. (WBZ) ―
A spike in the price of copper and aluminum has made metal pipes and other objects hot targets for thieves.
A truckload full of items was recently stolen from the basement of an abandoned Lawrence home, including furnace pipes and a tank to be sold as scrap.
"With the price of metal going up it's going to happen," said Lawrence police Chief John Romero.
The rising cost of copper and aluminum plus a market of abandoned and foreclosed homes adds up to a crime of opportunity for desperate thieves trying to make a buck.
"They're going into homes where they're not likely to be disturbed," Romero said. "In 14 months, we've had 37 incidents."
In the Lawrence theft, thieves cut copper and aluminum pipes off the heaters.
Police said these 3 men went in through the bulkhead of the house and pulled the heaters out.
In Wilmington, 33 Houghton Road is in the midst of foreclosure. The aluminum fence all around the house was cut down, downspouts were torn off and the concrete slabs of the steps were stolen.
From the suburbs to the city, this is a concern.
"They may get a couple of hundreds worth of copper but they're doing thousands of dollars worth of damage to the homes," Romero said. "There are a lot of issues from the public safety side of things so we're keeping our eyes on this."
There's a lot of damage and what's left behind may not be safe.
Boston police said the problem is also becoming a trend here in the city. Both Boston and Lawrence police say their officers are on alert to keep their eyes on vacant homes.
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