Earlier this month someone stole nearly 2,000 feet of wire from a cell phone tower along Highway 54 in Plover. Police believe the thieves broke into the tower site and stole the cable from a wooden spool.
This wasn't the first time a crime like this has happened. Last year there were a rash of copper wire thefts on local farms throughout the county totaling more than $40,000.
Metal and scrap recycling centers like the one in Wausau say they are cracking down on the sale of stolen copper wire.
They say it's always a red flag whenever someone they don't know tries to sell them a large amount of copper.
"We know most of the contractors that come in here. We don't have to question them too much. But, if it is even an outside contractor that we haven't dealt with too much, we will ask for some kind of ID or business card or something of that sort. That is definitely a red flag." says Jeff Osswald of Wausau Scrap and Recycling Corporation.
Area scrap yards also employ an ID scanning system in which a copy is made of everyone's ID who attempts to sell wire.
Copper Wire Being Stolen
