Monday, May 5, 2008; Posted: 4:58 p.m. (CDT)
Copper just keeps going up in value. The coils are now being sold for three to four dollars a pound.
There are stricter laws for those selling it. There could also soon be stricter laws for those buying it.
Steve Bala, who sells copper from time to time, says, "I think they should. "
Lawmakers are looking over three pieces of legislation.
Guy Liebmann, R-Oklahoma City, says, "Things come up that we didn't anticipate."
He says criminals found loopholes in last year's copper laws and they're working to put a stop to it.
"Now, we're going to allow them to video it," says Liebmann.
There's the possibility recyclers could soon be able to video those selling copper. The hope is it would help authorities track down those breaking the law.
He says, "The police or law enforcement agency in the community can come in and look at the video."
A popular target for copper thieves is air conditions. In fact, Oklahoma City police say in one month alone, more than 100 air conditioners were broken into and that's not unusual. It's costing victims thousands of dollars to fix.
It's another reason why lawmakers think this is a critical issue and Bala agrees.
Bala says, "People may think it's against their freedom of speech but they're just trying to look out for people who are trying to come in and make honest money."
Another bill being considered would require all recyclers to keep a log of who sells them copper and other metals.
