On FOX Business’ “The Claman Countdown,” host Liz Claman opened with a detail that explains why copper has suddenly become everybody’s business again.
Claman pointed to the AI boom and said the racks and chips behind flashy new AI creations don’t run on vibes – they run on power and wiring.
And wiring means copper. Lots of it.
Claman cited the Copper Development Association, saying a single hyperscale A.I. data center can use upwards of 50,000 tons of copper.
That number lands with a thud because it’s not a home renovation project. It’s industrial-scale demand that can squeeze the whole supply chain.
Claman also made it clear that high copper demand is “great news” for miners and investors. But she quickly pivoted to the darker side: when prices rise, the thieves notice too.
She threw it to FOX Business reporter Max Gorden, live in Los Angeles, for what she called an inside look at the uptick in copper theft.
Streetlights Knocked Out, Neighborhoods Left With The Mess
Standing in a Los Angeles neighborhood, Max Gorden didn’t talk about copper theft like it was a spreadsheet problem.
He showed the results.
Gorden said dozens of streetlights in that area had been knocked out of commission by a copper thief.
He pointed out a damaged streetlight with wires hanging out, and he noted the electricity had been turned off – luckily – so it didn’t turn into something even more dangerous.
Then he got to the point: inside those wires is what the thief wanted.
Copper.
Gorden said the high price of copper is enticing more thieves, and it’s hard to argue with that when the payoff is real cash.
He reported that copper prices are up more than 36% over the last year.
He added that someone selling high-quality copper to a recycler could get more than $4.50 per pound.
That might sound small until you remember thieves don’t steal one foot of wire. They strip bundles, rip out long runs, and take anything that looks like easy metal.
And the damage doesn’t just cost money. It creates dark streets, broken infrastructure, and a public safety headache that regular people end up living with.
Where Stolen Copper Turns Into Cash
Gorden made a point that matters: metal recyclers are a key part of the copper industry.
They’re also the place where thieves go to convert stolen copper into money.
That puts scrap yards in a tricky position. They’re part of a legitimate business, but they sit right at the choke point where stolen goods can become clean-looking cash.
Gorden said he spoke to the owner of a metal recycler who described the steps he takes to spot suspicious sellers.
That recycler was Vince Tarsky, owner of Scrap Stop Metals.
Tarsky sounded frustrated by the assumption that recyclers are automatically part of the problem.
He said the problem is people think scrap yards are “in cahoots” with crooks who bring in stolen material.
Tarsky pushed back hard.
He described himself as a business owner who is “totally against it,” and he said he will not buy – knowingly – “one pound” of stolen material.
It’s worth sitting with that for a second. Even if a recycler is doing the right thing, the business still has to deal with sellers who show up with a straight face and a story that sounds just believable enough.
And in the real world, thieves don’t walk in wearing a sign that says “I stole this from a streetlight.”
Gorden’s report shows why this is such a sticky mess: the market for recycled copper is real and necessary, but it can also become the easiest exit ramp for criminals.
Big Repairs, Bigger Costs, And A Growing Crackdown
Gorden said copper theft isn’t just random neighborhood vandalism.
He described it as rampant in Los Angeles, and he pointed to one example that has already become infamous.
The city’s 6th Street Bridge, Gorden reported, had more than 7 miles of copper wire ripped out by thieves.
The repair bill, he said, cost the City of Los Angeles $2.5 million.
That’s the part critics of “it’s just scrap” arguments always come back to.
A thief might get paid in pounds and pennies. But the public pays in millions, plus delays, plus safety risks, plus the endless hassle of fixing what never should’ve been broken.
Gorden said the LAPD even formed a “Heavy Metal Task Force” to crack down on copper-related crime and other vandalism.
According to Gorden, city officials said that in 2024 the task force made more than 100 arrests.
They also recovered thousands of pounds of stolen copper wire, again according to city officials.
That’s the good news. The bad news is what it implies: there was enough theft happening to justify a special task force, and enough stolen metal floating around that “thousands of pounds” could be recovered.
It also raises a blunt question that nobody loves asking out loud.
If thousands of pounds were recovered, how much wasn’t?
It’s Not Just Los Angeles, And The FBI Numbers Are Ugly
Gorden didn’t leave this as a Los Angeles-only story. He said it’s a national problem.
He pointed to the FBI, saying non-precious metal theft – which includes copper – has been on the rise over the past couple of years.
Then he dropped a number that makes it feel less like isolated mayhem and more like a sustained trend.
Gorden reported that in 2024 there were more than 21,000 cases of non-precious metal theft in the United States.
That’s a lot of chopped wire, ripped conduit, missing ground straps, damaged equipment, and angry crews sent out to repair it.
It’s also a reminder that copper theft isn’t only about streetlights.
It hits communications networks, construction sites, utilities, transit infrastructure, and any place where copper is accessible and security is thin.
And that’s where the AI angle becomes more than a fun intro.
When demand climbs and prices climb, copper starts looking like a product you can literally rip out of the ground – except the “ground” is often public infrastructure.
New Laws, Federal Pressure, And The Hard Truth About Deterrence
Gorden also featured voices calling for stronger rules.
He mentioned the Internet and Television Association, whose members have been hit by vandalism tied to copper theft.
That group is advocating for federal legislation, he said. The person speaking for the organization was Cory Gardner, identified as the association’s president and CEO.
Gardner described the mentality that kicks in when prices spike.
He said you have people who see the price rise on something like copper and try to take it, even when there’s no copper in the network.
That line matters because it shows how irrational theft can get once it becomes a “trend.”
People start ripping apart equipment hoping they’ll find metal, and sometimes they destroy critical systems for nothing.
Gardner said the goal should be making it as difficult as possible for thieves to succeed. And he added a point that sounds simple but carries weight: people need to recognize the real consequences if they do this.
That’s the tension at the heart of the whole story.
If the risk is low and the payoff is high, theft grows.
If the risk becomes high and the pathway to cash gets tighter, theft can shrink—at least until prices jump again.
Gorden noted that in California, a new law has now gone into effect requiring copper recyclers to take additional documentation for their sales.
But he also said copper theft in California and elsewhere continues.
That’s the frustrating part.
Rules can slow down the “easy sale” pipeline, but they don’t magically change the fact that copper is valuable, portable, and often sitting in places where a determined thief can get to it with a few tools and a fast getaway.
Why This Problem Keeps Coming Back
What stood out in Gorden’s reporting is how predictable the cycle is.
Prices rise. Theft rises. Repairs explode. The public gets stuck paying.
And now there’s a new accelerant: AI infrastructure that, as Liz Claman emphasized, can require miles of copper wiring and staggering amounts of the metal.
Even if thieves don’t care about AI data centers directly, they care about the price signals those projects can help create.
If copper sits near record highs, it becomes a kind of “street-level commodity.”
The stuff in your streetlight pole starts looking like money. And that should make cities, utilities, and private companies rethink how exposed their systems really are.
It’s not enough to arrest people after the fact.
Gorden’s report makes the uncomfortable case that prevention – better locking, smarter designs, hardened access points, faster repairs, and tighter recycling documentation – may be the only way to reduce the payoff.
Because as long as copper stays expensive, someone will keep trying to turn public wiring into private cash.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
