Pacific Northwest Copper Theft Epidemic Hits Small Businesses

Copper theft has become a major problem in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Seattle. According to the Seattle Police Department, there were 308 copper robberies last year, a 300% increase from 2018 when there were only two such crimes.

Ryan Faniel, co-owner of the Lockspot Café, has had his business targeted multiple times. He estimates that he spent around $10,000 on repairs and anti-theft equipment after several incidents.

Dan Chason, who oversees the theft and vandalism program at telecom giant Lumen, believes understaffed law enforcement agencies in Oregon and Washington are partly to blame for the surge in copper theft. He notes that when police departments have limited resources, they may prioritize crimes against people over property crimes like copper theft.

The value of copper is also driving the thefts. The price recyclers pay for scrap copper tends to be higher on the West Coast than elsewhere, according to Scrap Monster data.