White River Copper Theft

Copper thieves attempt a theft from a Branson Theater.

The release and picture is from White River Valley Electric Cooperative:

Overnight on August 29, copper thieves attempted to steal copper from a transformer outside the RFD Theatre located at 4080 W 76 Country Boulevard in Branson.  Electricity to RFD Theatre is provided by White River Valley Electric Cooperative (WRVEC).

“Copper theft is not a victimless crime.  Ultimately, our members pay the price,” said White River Valley Electric Cooperative CEO, Chris Hamon.

Beside the cost to repair and replace stolen material, when utilities must focus on copper thefts, it takes their attention away from other important projects in the community to make costly repairs.

The public can help prevent copper theft by calling 911 if they:

See people working near electric line equipment who are not identified as WRVEC employees or contractors.
Observe missing or damaged electric utility equipment.
Notice unusual activity around electric utility equipment.
See suspicious electric utility work being done late in the evening or overnight. Overnight or weekend work is only assigned to WRVEC crews during outages.
The public is encouraged if they see something suspicious, to say something by calling 911.  If possible, take note of any vehicles or persons, and if able, photos and videos of the crime in action.