Thieves take wiring from power lines

WEST VALLEY CITY — Some ambitious thieves in West Valley City allegedly stole more than 34,000 feet of copper wiring from power lines belonging to Kennecott Copper and caused more than $1 million in damage, according to police.

One man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of theft in connection with the incident. West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said other arrests were pending.

Kennecott's rail line runs along U-111 and crosses 5400 South in West Valley City. Along the rail line the company has an auxiliary power line as well as a fiber-optic line, McLachlan said. The auxiliary power line is normally not powered up.

For the past week or two investigators believe suspects have been cutting down the power lines, stripping them of their copper wiring, cutting it up into sections and selling it to scrap-metal dealers.

About half of the copper had been recovered as of Thursday and at least one scrap-metal dealer was cooperating with police in identifying possible suspects, McLachlan said.

A total of about 200 power poles were shattered or cut down as a result of the thieves' search for scrap metal. In some cases a rope was tied around the pole and then to the back of a vehicle to rip down the pole, McLachlan said.

In other cases it looked like a chain saw was used, he said.

The damage was discovered after Kennecott noticed an interruption in its fiber-optic line, McLachlan said.

Not only was the theft a problem, but McLachlan said both the thieves and the general public could have been put at risk if those downed lines were charged.

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