Cowboy Maloney co-owner Con Maloney said criminals have taken copper theft to a new low.
Rooftops.
Last week, thieves in search of copper climbed on top of a shopping center at I-55 and Briarwood Drive in north Jackson, then busted open heating and air-conditioning units for the copper inside.
Cowboy Maloney's Electric City, Big Lots and the vacant Chuck E. Cheese building all were targeted.
Maloney said each of the businesses had multiple heating and air units on the roof and the damage inflicted will cost them thousands of dollars collectively to replace.
"I heard it's estimated that the damage they caused was between $75,000 to $100,000. They did all that and they'll probably get only about $400 for the copper," said Maloney, who operates a chain of electronics stores. "With us having a number of stores, our insurance deductible is high. That deductible has to come out of our pockets."
Store owners discovered the theft Thursday when the heat would not work. A repairman climbed on the roof to find the units destroyed.
Jackson police spokesman Joseph Daughtry said investigators are following possible leads.
A law passed in 2008 requires metal sellers to provide proof of identification when selling to recyclers.
Recyclers also must electronically record the identification and digital pictures of the metal sold. Recyclers must tag and hold any metal they purchase for three days.
Copper theft was a key issue with police from 2006 through 2008, when the price of copper was consistently between $3 and $4 per pound.
For much of 2009, copper was less than $3 per pound, but it climbed back to $3 per pound in late November for the first time in more than a year and the price has continued to rise.
