Joe Wheeler EMC still offering $1,000 reward for information on copper thieves

MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Joe Wheeler EMC’s Director of Operations Patrick Turner says thieves are putting their lives in danger after grounding wires were stolen from multiple utility poles over a week ago.

“What the perpetrators were thinking that is valuable…thinking that it’s copper…it’s really not copper,” Turner stated. “It’s what we call copper clad. It’s not worth the money that you think you’re going to get when you go to cash it in.”

Joe Wheeler EMC offering reward for stolen ground wires

Turner says the wire was stripped from 26 poles on New Cut Road in Danville, between Alabama 36 West and Alabama 55 West between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday, March 10th.

“They’re stapled closely at the bottom of the pole and then as you go up…they space out,” Joe Wheeler EMC Safety Director Cody McDonald said. “We take the stance that we put the ground wire, even though it’s not mandated, on every pole for our primary power because we live in an area that has significant lightning events and severe weather. It’s lightning protection for our system.”

The utility company has since repaired the damaged utility poles, but the $1,000 reward offered is to let people know they take these incidents seriously.

“We’re trying to catch who did this,” Turner said. “It’s very important that someone does come forward and let us know who did this because this is of course costing us manpower to go back and replace the copper that was stolen.”

If you have any information, contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at (256)-350-4613.

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