Even thieves follow trends.

Although it’s been happening for years, the theft of metals for recycling has become a booming business for crooks who want to make a quick, dishonest buck.

The metals are sold to recycling centers for scrap.

“Copper wiring, stainless steel, metal gutters and gutter down spouts, bronze — you name it. Metals thefts have increased throughout the country,” Napa County Sheriff’s Capt. John Robertson said.

Napa County has been no exception.

“Copper pipe and wiring aren’t the only metals being stolen,” Robertson said. “There is a real run on stainless steel. We have got reports of the doors, knobs and piping being ripped off the stainless wine tanks at the wineries. Someone even reported the gate to a winery was stolen.”

Another favorite of thieves is catalytic converters from vehicles. “They contain a small amount of gold and palladium,” a relatively rare form of platinum, Robertson said. “We’ve seen a big increase in these thefts.”

Robertson said the problem is widespread and encompasses almost anything that can be recycled. “In Union City, police have a case where thieves took several bronze urns from a mausoleum, and one of them contained human ashes,” he said.

Vallejo, along with many other cities, is experiencing the problem of stolen manhole covers, Robertson said. “The city is putting concrete over the metal covers to prevent them from being stolen.”

According to the New York Times, police in other cities have even received reports of long sections of aluminum bleachers from high school stadiums being stolen for the recycling value.

The thieves certainly are not meticulous when it comes to retrieving their booty.

“They literally just rip the stuff from walls, buildings or out of the ground,” Robertson said. “They will attach it to a winch on a vehicle and just tear it away. ... There is a lot more money in recycling metals, especially copper.”

On-the-job troubles

Construction sites have been high on the list of favorite targets for metal thieves. The sites are usually crammed with a variety of metal products used in construction.

With all the new construction taking place in American Canyon, the south county city is a Mecca for metal thefts.

“Recycled metal goes as high as $300 a ton,” American Canyon Police Sgt. Craig Nickles said, referring to prices reached earlier this year. “The thieves are willing to do anything to get the stuff. And they are getting innovative. We have had them open the plates at the bottom of power poles and rip out the wire.”

“They are taking anything that’s recyclable from the construction sites around town. I’ve seen where they have hooked a rope on a (electrical) junction box at a new, usually unoccupied house, and yank it out of the wall. If it’s not bolted down, nailed down, they will take it, and many times that doesn’t even stop them.”

Tom Andrews, of Andrews and Thornley Construction Inc., in Napa, said his company was taking a beating in metals thefts. But about six months ago Andrews installed prevention measures such as all-night on-site security, lighting and fencing. The thefts have eased up.

“We were getting hit hard and a lot. They were coming through the fences and ripping the copper pipes and wiring out of the buildings under construction,” Andrews said.

“They didn’t stop there; they were also taking machinery and other materials. Several times they used a forklift to get the stuff and really messed up the forklift.”

Andrews said that the nature of the construction business makes it vulnerable to metal thieves.

“Some of the construction sites, they hit are so big that they can go inside a job and act as if they are a worker, while the whole time they are casing the place,” he said. “It’s not only the loss of the materials, but they do a lot of damage ripping out the copper. We have to fix that and buy new materials. It really slows down the job.”

Hard to trace

Robertson said making arrests is difficult because stolen copper wire, pipes and other recyclable metals are almost impossible to trace. Unless the thieves are caught in the act, an arrest is almost impossible.

“We can make a traffic stop and find a trunk load of copper wire and pipe. There is no way to identify where it came from and if it is even stolen. The guy could claim he found it lying on the road,” Robertson said.

Napa Police Cmdr. Andy Lewis said copper and metal thefts have risen significantly in the last several years, and agreed with Andrews and Robertson about the way the criminals work.

“They (thieves) stake out construction sites. Some are blatant enough to even blend in with the construction workers, load up with the materials and walk off the site. Copper seems to be the material of choice, but they will take anything that can be recycled. We have made some arrests, but it is hard to catch them in the act and stolen metals are hard to track and trace back to the responsible person,” Lewis said.

The price for recycled metals fluctuates. Robertson said that last September copper was going for $2.50 a pound, last July it was at $4 a pound,” Robertson said.

the price has dropped to around  $1 a pound, according to Mark Lutz, who owns Steel Mill Supply of Napa. The American Canyon-based business is the only facility in Napa County that pays for recyclable materials.

The metals are shipped mostly to China and India, where they are recycled and used in construction.

“The majority of the stuff stolen in Napa County doesn’t stay in Napa County. It ends up in recycling yards in East Bay,” Robertson said. “They come from out of town, stake out places in Napa County, make their move when it is dark and leave.”

“The owner (Mark Lutz) of the place works with us and is cautious about what he buys,” Robertson said. “He actually has been a victim of metal thefts, as well. He has been hit several times by guys at night at his place trying to make off with the stuff he has bought from the recyclers.”

Law enforcement officials agree metal thefts and methamphetamine use go hand in hand.

“Meth users are always looking for a way to make a quick buck. Their activity usually happens in the night hours when these guys are awake and wired. They take the metals to the recycling yard and are given cash right there and then. And they are willing to take chances to get the metals,” Robertson said. “These guys don’t know some of the risks they are taking. A lot of times the wires are hot. Not too long ago, the cops found a couple of guys up on the Altamont Pass who were electrocuted trying to get copper wiring.”

Napa Police Cmdr. Lewis said he sees a strong connection between meth and metals.

“Hard-core meth users are incapable of keeping a regular job. They need money for their next fix and stealing copper is easy and quick. But there are lot of them who don’t have a clue of the dangers of pulling wires from a building,” Lewis said. “But that doesn’t stand in their way of trying to make money quick and easy.”