Tuesday night, White River Valley Electric Cooperative (WRVEC) reported an attempted theft of copper from a transformer outside the RFD Theatre in Branson.
White River Valley Electric Cooperative CEO, Chris Hamon stated, “Copper theft is not a victimless crime. Ultimately, our members pay the price.”
Beside the cost to repair and replace stolen material, it takes 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.
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