Copper Theft Plagues California’s Central Valley as Sheriff Urges Proactive Deterrence

Copper theft has been a persistent problem for farmers and, in more recent years, telecommunications networks, Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke said.

Network cables that have been targeted by thieves for the copper wire, on display at a news conference in Fresno, Calif., on May 2, 2012. The Canadian Press/AP/The Fresno Bee, John Walker

Farmers in California’s Central Valley work hard to produce food for the country. At the same time, law enforcement is protecting farmers from thieves targeting the copper inside their equipment.

Copper theft has been a persistent problem for farmers and, in more recent years, telecommunications networks, Merced County Sheriff Vernon Warnke told The Epoch Times.