(View source article for more)
Source: http://www.motifake.com/copper-theft-rule-1-copper-theft-rules-demotivational-poster-82438.html

(View source article for more)
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP7vnzHEviE&feature=email

(View source article for more)
Source: http://www2.jcfloridan.com/jcf/news/local/article/second_man_charged_in_connection_with_copper_theft/10641/

 (View source article for more)
Source: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/16/man-shocked-after-entering-pasco-substation/news-pasco/

   Why me? What made my air conditioner so desirable? The problem of air conditioner theft is not a new one and the thieves do not discriminate. A/C units have been stolen for years, mostly in times past due to a quick sale to a shady contractor who will then re-sell it to someone needing air conditioning. However, now that the economy is in bad shape and copper prices are at all time highs, the focus has shifted to quick Snatch-N-Grab thefts and the units are stripped of the copper and then sold. The thief sells the copper to a scrap yard for pennies on the dollar. They get maybe $40-$50 dollars for an air conditioner that costs you upwards of $3500 or more to replace. This also means no air conditioning or heat. Having no A/C in your home for a while is bad enough, imagine having to conduct business or hold church in the freezing cold or unbearable heat. 

   This problem in compounded by the desire of wanting a replacement right away, but a fear of leaving it exposed again. What can I do? The crooks will be overjoyed to see that you supplied them with a brand new unit, that is unless they see that you have protected it with an air conditioner cage. The sight of an A/C cage itself would send most crooks down the road to seek for an easier target. This alone gives you the advantage over other theft deterrents such as alarms or simple lighting. These methods help, but do not actually keep your air conditioner from being stolen. They are purely re-active approaches when a pro-active approach is needed. An air conditioner cage by Property Armor by far is the best device you can purchase to protect your investment. They are sold in several different styles and some even actually enhance the aesthetics of your unit as oppose to looking like a crime zone.

   Wayne Blackmon, an HVAC business owner has seen several of these first hand. “I have actually been called to a doctors office who had their air conditioners stolen right in the middle of the day, located on a busy intersection. Neighboring businesses admit seeing a van earlier but assumed they were just working on the units.” Mr. Blackmon adds “We work closely with Property Armor which stocks and supplies air conditioner cages. Sometimes the replacement unit itself is not in stock and has to be ordered, but thankfully, the air conditioning protection is usually available when the units are ready to be installed. I usually get a big smile when I get an air conditioner working again, but now I get an additional smile and sigh of relief when they know they are now protected also.”

   You can visit www.propertyarmor.net to learn more about the problem, check out solutions, as well as browse through a gallery of past projects.

     First, This Does not stop your air conditioner from being stolen. Despite the claim of cages being ugly and ineffective, www.propertyarmor.net has several security enclosures that often enhance the aesthetics of the air conditioner.

    Second, whether a GPS sends a tampered signal to the police or not, do you honestly think they are going to put out an All Points Bulletin for your air conditioner crying for help? Give me a break.

     Third, the valuable copper, which is what is ultimately stolen, will be long gone by the time the GPS and the rest of the air conditioner carcass is found.

     Finally, even if the best case scenario unfolds, you pay your monthly bill, your unit is stolen and found, and the thief goes to jail, do you think the fuzzy feeling of knowing a knuckle head crook is behind bars because of you is going to install your old air conditioner? Not at all. After you pay your $100 recovery bill, you will have to call an A/C repair company to come out, repair the damage done, and re-install your condenser. By the way, how long have you been without air conditioning or heat since this happened?

      In summary, Cages are the best solution for air conditioner theft. When a thief is looking to steal an air conditioner, you want to be ruled out from the beginning. Are you in it to keep your air conditioner or catch a crook? My guess is, to keep your investment. If there are three bicycles outside a department store and one has a chain, one has an alarm, and the third has nothing, which one would you guess would be first to get stolen? The one with nothing, right? Which one would be next? You guessed it, the one with the alarm or GPS. The one with the chain is not going anywhere without a lot of work and that is why you should invest in a cage from a company like Property Armor to keep your cool.

With copper at all-time high prices, copper theft has reached epidemic levels throughout the United States. Recent estimates suggest that copper theft has cost businesses and homeowners nearly a billion dollars in the State of Florida alone! Experts agree the situation is likely to get worse due to the economy.

Air conditioning units are the most popular target of thieves, packed to the brim with copper coil. This is very convenient for the thief, and the coil can be stolen from your unprotected unit in minutes. The thief can cash this copper out for upwards of 150 dollars. Quite a lucrative bit to leave for any common thief to walk away with!

The thief pockets a couple hundred dollars for the couple of units they hit in a day, and leave homeowners in the uncomfortable position of not having air conditioning until they spend the three to seven thousand dollars a new air conditioning system typically runs.

Protect yourself from being the next target with Property Armor. Our cages are made in the USA by Hapco, an industry leading manufacturer of air conditioning metal products.

With copper prices soaring, so is copper theft , creating power outages, communication breakdowns and other issues beyond the immediate thievery.

The problem has gotten so bad — some people think the economic slowdown contributes to the crime — that legislators are likely to increase penalties for copper theft that damages or interrupts utilities or communication services.

A bill moving quickly through the House and Senate would make such theft a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Copper theft has hit areas ranging from construction sites to citrus groves to homes, according to media reports from around the state, with the thieves usually taking the material to a recycler or scrap metal dealer, where it often sells for $3.20 a pound.

“Copper is one of the most expensive alloys n the construction business,” said Rep. Trudi Wiliams, R-south Lee County, and an engineer. “Utilities, especially, use it a lot because it’s got such great conductivity. But when it gets stolen, it can mean a lot of people lose their electrical power.”

Williams signed on as an early sponsor “because it’s a good anti-theft bill,” she said. “The way people are stealing copper has turned into a real epidemic. Anything we can do to increase penalties against construction theft is a good thing.”

Another sponsor, Rep. Bryan Nelson, R-Apopka, cited the crime element as a major reason for his support.

Because of the increased demand for metals, more people are becoming victims, Nelson said.

“We now find ourselves in a situation where business and homeowners are having to spend thousands to replace air conditioners and other items that have been destroyed for a few hundred dollars worth of copper,” he said, adding that a crackdown in the law is certainly worthwhile.

No opposition has appeared in any committee hearings; the bill (HB 799) sped through three House committees unanimously and is now poised for a final vote on the floor.

The Senate measure (SB 1384) also passed two committees unanimously, and is scheduled to be heard by two more in that chamber.

Source: http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/crime/story.aspx?storyid=77056