Copper thefts prompt plea for public help

A rash of copper thefts at key electrical facilities has prompted a friendly reminder from federal officials: If you like your lights to come on when you flip the switch, you should report any suspicious activity you see near transmission lines and substations.

Western Area Power Administration issued its plea for the public's help after two men were caught breaking into the high-voltage Mead Substation near Boulder City on July 22.

The men reportedly cut a hole in the fence surrounding the facility and tried to flee the area in their truck with cabling wrapped around their bumper.

It was the ninth break-in at Mead Substation in a little more than a year and the first time an arrest was made, said administration spokeswoman Carolyn Hinkley.

"It seems that whenever the price of copper goes up, we see some activity," Hinkley said. "It's dangerous for people to be breaking into a facility with high-voltage equipment (inside). It's amazing what people will do."

From 2001 through 2005, there were four break-ins at federally owned substations in Nevada. Since April 2006, those same facilities have been broken into 13 times.

The most recent copper raid at Mead Substation did not result in any power disruptions, but the potential for trouble is certainly there. "It is a big energy hub for Las Vegas and Southern California," Hinkley said of the substation.

Western Area Power Administration markets and delivers hydroelectric power from Hoover Dam and other federal facilities. The agency within the U.S. Department of Energy operates 17,000 miles of transmission lines across 15 states, including almost 200 miles of power lines and five substations in Nevada.

A surge in copper thefts also has been reported at facilities operated by Nevada Power Company and Valley Electric Association, which serves portions of Clark, Nye, Esmeralda and Mineral counties.

At the scene of a January break-in at a Valley Electric substation near Sandy Valley, smears of blood were found on a pair of gloves and some electrical equipment, leading investigators to believe that one of the copper thieves may have been seriously injured.

Valley Electric is currently offering a $10,000 reward in connection with recent thefts and vandalism at its facilities.

Western Area Power Administration offers up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people responsible for breaking into its facilities.

The administration operates a toll-free Crime Watch number at 1-800-209-8962. Reports of suspicious activity at Mead Substation can be made online at www.wapa.gov/crime/ or by calling the 311 non-emergency number for police.