Elwood, Illinois – On Monday, April 5th, the Village of Elwood Public Works Department reported a theft at Lloyd Erickson Park 801 N. Chicago Avenue. An unknown suspect broke into the base of several street light poles and stripped out the cooper wire. This incident follows a similar report made several weeks ago from Mississippi Avenue and Heritage Drive (eastside of Route 53) were suspects broke into the base of street light poles and removed the cooper wiring.
The Public Works Department is working to repair the damage to the street lights.
Did you know the increase in the price of cooper has resulted in a direct increase in the number of cooper thefts throughout Will County? Criminals steal cooper wire to sell as scrap metal. Foremost, cooper theft is a deadly problem because it can injure or kill those stealing it and endanger the public. In addition, cooper theft also can cause power outages that can be inconvenient and costly to public infrastructure.
We can't stress enough the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. Sometimes, people are reluctant to call 911 about activity that they feel is suspicious because they believe their call will be a burden or unnecessarily tie up police resources. “We need the public’s help to catch these criminals,” said Chief Fred Hayes. “We encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity in the Village to call 911 immediately. Alternatively, you can report incidents anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-323-6734.”