Copper stripped from Somerset cell phone towers
It's getting crazy.
Thursday January 24, 2008, 2:14 PM
A spate of copper thefts from cell phone towers in a string of adjacent towns in Somerset County are being tied to the increasing value of the metal.
Eight separate incidents have been reported of copper grounding bars and copper wiring being stolen from cell phone towers, utility stations and constructions sites in Bridgewater, Somerville, Hillsborough and Montgomery all within a 10-day period, police said.
Area police departments are cooperating to stave off further thefts. Hillsborough Police Lt. Greg Harkins said copper has historically been a target of theft, especially in houses under construction, because it an expensive and easily recyclable metal. But the targeting of cell phone towers is new, Harkins said.
"As the metal rises in price, people want to steal it," Verizon Wireless spokesman David Samberg said.
It's getting crazy.