Metal thieves growing bolder at building sites; telephone lines also prime targets for copper capers.

The high price of copper has turned construction sites, vacant homes and even businesses into targets for thieves looking to cart away the highly valued A metal that fetches hard cash on the black market.

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The demand for copper and other metals on the world market has forced those who rely on them, such as construction, utility and telecom companies, to boost security.

Almost any law enforcement officer has seen it, from stolen manhole covers in North County to public statues in Fallbrook.

"It's happening on live electrical wires and on the pipes," said Lt. Mike Munsey, a watch commander in the San Diego Sheriff's Department. "You even see it on those water control stations that come out of the ground. Guys will come up, wrap a chain around it, and yank the pipe out of the ground; and blow the water out."

Telephone lines are especially easy targets, and snipped lines have cut communities off from emergency services, authorities say.

"I can tell you it's been a big problem," said John Britton, an AT&T spokesman in San Francisco. "In the last year, we've documented more than 250 reported copper incidents in California."

Copper sells for more than $3.50 a pound. A recycler will pay about $1 a pound, said Sheriff's Sgt. Art Wager.

While state law requires recyclers to document purchases and keep IDs of sellers, many don't.

"The reason it's such a popular item to steal, is because it's so easy for the crook to "fence" it," Wager said, referring to the practice of buying and selling stolen metal. "Six to eight months ago, we were starting to hear that recycling places were knowingly fencing copper steel and wire."

Ripped Out Pipes

In July, vandals ripped out the pipes of Oncology Therapies of Vista, shutting down the clinic and preventing a dozen cancer patients from receiving radiation therapy that day, Wager said.

In April, thieves stole copper lines from the rooftop of a Boneys natural foods market in Escondido, damaging the cooling system and spoiling $80,000 worth of food, he said.

And on March 6, Fallbrook deputies found a would-be thief dead, who was still holding a live utility line, said Wager, a supervisor on a recently formed task force to shut down the black market.

The task force includes sheriff's investigators from Vista, San Marcus and Fallbrook, as well as the Oceanside and Escondido police departments, the FBI, the District Attorney's Office, and state Department of Justice.

AT&T, which has been hit particularly hard by thefts, is providing the wires to undercover agents, who then attempt to sell them to recyclers.

AT&T offers up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information on copper thefts that lead to arrests and convictions, Britton said.

"We've known that scrap dealers have been illegally accepting stolen copper cable for years now," he said. "We've seen a problem continuously, but I would say it has escalated."

Britton said thieves in Bakersfield caused havoc to the agriculture industry by stealing copper water pipes.

"It's not limited to rural areas. I've seen residential neighborhoods where people just come along and start cutting cable out of service," he said.

Late last month, the task force arrested several people in a four-month investigation dubbed "Operation Heavy Metal."

Undercover agents cited two recyclers who purchased stolen wire on four separate occasions, and a third business that purchased wire without obtaining the necessary documentation.

"I can tell you it's a pretty big problem, based on the numbers AT&T is giving us and the impact on communities," said George Loyd, an assistant district attorney assigned to the task force to prosecute the cases.

$15,000 To Fix

"They'll steal 1,000 feet of wire and get $800 or $1,000 for it. But it costs AT&T $15,000 to fix the problem."

The biggest hit areas are in North and East County, he said.

"It's just a crime of opportunity--if someone sees money," said Loyd.

Construction sites have begun beefing up security, adding guards and cameras.

"I'm sure it's a problem for everybody," said Run Rudolph, vice president and operations manager in San Diego for Turner Construction Co.

Rudolph said earlier this summer a crane at a worksite in Hillcrest lost its airplane clearance lights, which are required by the Federal Aviation Administration, after thieves stole connecting cables.

Turner Construction is also careful to make timely installations of materials to keep loose supplies offsite.

"We see more and more of that as times get tougher," Rudolph said.