May 30, 2008
Purdue police seek information on copper wire theft
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue police are investigating the theft of approximately $25,000 worth of copper from the high voltage storage lot at the university's gravel pit.The theft was discovered about 3 p.m. Thursday (May 29) and is believed to have occurred sometime after May 23, said Purdue police detective Sgt. Carrie Costello. It is the second reported copper theft from the campus in little more than a month. On April 24, about $44,000 worth of insulated copper was reported stolen from a construction storage area.
Costello said the most recent theft involved more than 600 feet of insulated wire. The estimated value of copper is $42 a foot on the open market, she said.
"One of the workers noticed that one of the spools that the copper is wrapped around had been tampered with," Costello said. "He then saw that about 300 feet of copper wire was missing from two spools."
Costello said police are taking additional security measures and stepping up patrols in the area.
Theft is a Class D felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call the Purdue Police Department at (765) 494-8221 or the anonymous tip line at (765) 496-3784.
Writer: Jim Bush, (765) 494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Source: Carrie Costello, (765) 494-8221, ckcostello@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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