KXO RADIO - Imperial Irrigation District going after copper thieves

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Imperial Irrigation District going after copper thieves

Todays is : Thursday, 20 November 2008

Written by George Gale
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
(Imperial Irrigation District has a plan to curtail copper thefts)….Copper thefts have increased by up to 700 percent throughout the United States and Canada. The Imperial Irrigation District has not been left out. Thieves have stolen everything copper item they can find from the IID, from wire to irrigation gates. Copper theft is also a major problem in Mexicali, where thieves have actually been electrocuted trying to steal from energy plants. IID officials say the thefts not only cost the District hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, but they also weaken the reliability and stability of the IID Energy electrical system. The District says the thefts create indirect losses to the District and its customers, not only creating an inconvenience, but they also have the potential of interrupting worker productivity, risk employee safety and affect the general economy of the region. In an attempt to curb these thefts, the District has come up with a $30,000 program. The District says they will use a multi-pronged approach, including increased physical security at the IID facilities, coordinate efforts with the law enforcement agencies, strategic media communication and community outreach. Officials say the program has been funded and is expected to be rolled out within the next couple of weeks.