CBS 5 - KPHO House bill aimed at AZ copper thieves

House bill aimed at AZ copper thieves

The costly act of stealing copper components from air-conditioning units in Arizona has reached a scale that is now drawing the attention of lawmakers.

It's estimated that copper thefts in Phoenix alone cost taxpayers $30 million a year and businesses and government agencies are now working together to combat the problem.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and others are holding a news conference Wednesday morning at the state Capitol to discuss new initiatives and legislation aimed at the problem.

"We've had over 3,000 air-conditioning units stolen this year just from Phoenix alone," said Sgt. Theresa Clark of the Phoenix Police Department.

Copper thefts have become rampant in recent years because of industrial growth in China that sent prices soaring.

Police say thieves are stealing copper from pool pumps, street lighting, abandoned homes and construction sites.

A thief might be able to sell the condenser coils from an air conditioner for about $80. But if a homeowner has to replace a damaged unit, it can cost around $5,000. That cost quadruples to $20,000 for a commercial unit.

And if it's stolen from a church or school, the replacement costs are more likely to come from your pocket.

"I talked to a property manager last week who said he has hundreds of vacant homes around the Valley that are sitting there without the AC units on them, because they replace them and then they get stolen again," Clark said.

Law enforcement officials have teamed up with business leaders and legislators and introduced House Bill 2395 Tuesday, which would make it illegal for scrap dealers to buy copper condensers from anyone who isn't a licensed professional.

"I think it's a great idea," said Alex Estrada, manager of CN Lincoln Metal.

Many scrap yard owners don't want the added regulation.

They said they already have to send the identifications of anyone who sells that type of copper to a state database.

"It's something that I teach my kids not to do," Estrada said, who added that he doesn't have to buy the copper and that he thinks it is "totally wrong" for sellers to bring the stolen copper to his yard.

Estrada estimates that 90 percent of the copper sellers that show up at his yard are thieves.

That's when he demands an ID. Many complain, and he laments that even with the new law, because there's money involved, "there will always be a place that will buy it."

Copyright 2012 KPHO (Meredith Corporation).  All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.