Saw on the local news this morning because street lights in the Twin Cities are being broken into for their copper, they are proposing a ban on selling copper. You would be able to turn copper in, but not be paid for it. Not sure if this would be statewide, or just the Twin Cities. Don't they realize the thieves will just sell it in a neighboring state? Lot of stupid people on that city council.

Wow!!

Worth repeating

A favorite inner city way to die, 2nd is trying to steal the hot wire off the street car ROW! LOL

Stupid law.

There would be plenty of black market places to sell copper once you have connections.

They probably don't have enough cops to go after the thieves, and the city council wouldn't want arrests anyway. Maybe just take out all the street lights. Win, Win

Expect nothing less from the DFL.

We've got your local meth head types around here stealing copper pipe and wire from abandoned buildings, or copper line from seasonal LP gas tanks....the local scrap guy quit buying from known offenders after he realized the situation....and the cops came around.

Proposed state law. It would require a license to both buy and sell copper. Yet another reason to sell scrap out of state.

So....if you were a small time bullet manufacturer, or coppersmith, you'd have to be licensed.

The answer to all the wrongs in the universe license , regulate, tax for the law abiding citizens of course

It’s all fun until it’s energized at a respectable voltage. Boss says “ there was a blip on my feeder over the night. It’s cold out, take a break and go over to the station and check the fault currents on LBE12-4. When you walk into the station in the and see a lump under the snow by the fence. 2 burnt stumps sticking up where the thief’s hands used to be. Crawled over the fence to get out, but tough without hands. Well “she operated at 02:44 at 8500 amps on A phase to ground with a successful reclose”. Froze to death I suppose….quite comical actually.

It was several years ago but the Janitor at the local high school went out to the football field one Friday morning to test the lights for the game that evening. He hit the switch and nothing. They checked the fuses and still nothing so the local electric company was called to help. When they showed up it was discovered that all the copper wire from each pole was missing. You could see the tire tracks from the truck that they used to pull the wire off the poles.

I've heard they are only at about 60% of their normal police force. Who would want to be a cop in the Twin Cities when the city leaders make the cops out to be the bad guys so often?

This would be playing out just like gun control. Punish the good guys, while the bad guys are still in business.

two maybe three types , those who don't know what or where to do anything else and they look for retirement, the ones you don't want being cops because they are dirty or made bad choices at every other agency they worked for so no one else wants them.

type 3 you might have a few true believers in it being their city and how they want to help make it better but a little time and experience will burn them out.

Copper has been stolen out of vacant homes in the cities for over 20 years, so whats else is up?

The scrap yards tell you take copper from job sites. In joking way of course. I don't do it.

Here the scrap yards do really question it and sometimes refuse to take it.