January 9, 2008 For the past two months, including the New Year's Eve holiday, the Evergreen State College has been the victim of copper wire thefts. The thefts involve underground wiring that connects to light poles on the Evergreen Parkway in front of the campus.

A possible suspect vehicle is described as a green Ford Ranger with two male suspects. Evidence left behind suggests the suspects have some expertise in the field of electrical work.

February 6, 2008 Local law enforcement agencies have received numerous reports of wire theft from new construction and municipal conduits in all areas of Thurston County. The suspects have removed underground wire which supplies power to street lights, metal covers from underground vaults, and wiring from inside the walls of new construction. The thieves then sell the copper wire to metal recycle yards.

The above is from the Crime Stopper of Olympia/Thurston County site. Check out the KOMO story also.

Copper wire theft may sound like no big deal, but it is. Often times we tax payers will be picking up the tab for replacement. This is also definitely a safety issue. Traffic signals and other devices are disabled. Entire stretches of road go dark.

Thieves are risking the lives of drivers and construction workers, as the damage may not be noticed until the traffic light goes dark or someone unknowingly contacts a live circuit. (Source WSDOT)

The Washington State Department of Transportation has lots of information available on this, including an online report form and a report number 1-877-976-WIRE.

Some thieves try to dress the part of workers with hard hats and all, so it can be easy to assume that all is well. Please report anything suspicious to the relevant authorities.