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New Target For Copper Thieves? Farm Irrigation Systems
February 7, 2011
Copper thieves have apparently found a new target in North Escambia — farm irrigation systems.
A local farmer reported last week that 600 feet of electrical control cable was stolen from his Reinke irrigation system at Highway 97 and Meadows Road in Davisville. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect stopped two sections of irrigation pipe short of stealing the entire cable because one end was very close to Meadows Road. The total damage to the irrigation system was estimated at $5,000.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, another irrigation system in the area of Greenland and Dortch Roads was found to be missing an 800 foot section of electrical cable. Several other irrigation systems in the area were not tampered with.
According to the farmer, two other irrigation systems he owns in Alabama had also been the target of vandals and thieves.
The suspect in the case will face felony grand theft and felony criminal mischief charges once arrested.
Anyone with information on the crime can contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured above and below: An operating irrigation system in Walnut Hill creates a rainbow in this NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
27 Responses to “New Target For Copper Thieves? Farm Irrigation Systems”
Attn Citizen: You’re sooooo right!!!!!!!
Require every scrap metal buyer to require a seller to provide proff of residence and valid ID when they bring metal in. Also a written statement should be made where the metal came from and vehicle license make and model of the vehicle that brough the metal in.
One more thing if they would get out there and work for an honest living like the farmers do this would not be happing. Instead hey seem to think someone owes them something. Sorry guys it just hits my hot button I was raised on a farm and I know how hard it is to do what a farmer does. It’s hard at best.
What a bunch of selfish jerks they are. Wow! Talk about biting the hand off that feeds you. Man these guys when sentenced should be put under the jail house or prison which ever. Maybe when their bellies are hurting from hunger they will think about that for a minute. Oh wait they get 3 meals a cot and medical and dent free in prision. Sorry I let my mind run away on what was I thinking.
Sorry human beings I tell ya.
If criminals were punished more severely this would not happen as often! Keep that in mind next election day also a very smart person said catch them shoot them that works too.
Dick Tracy said it all !!!
A real policeman ready to pre-file? What does that mean?
I have been waiting for real police who are not friends with criminals.
WHO IS THIS GOOD MAN AND WHEN IS HE COMING?
What you need up there are more deputies to cover that large area. On a good day, you’ll have two officers on days, two on eve’s and maybe two on mid’s if you’re lucky. You have one Lt and two Sgt’s. Now, if one takes a vacation day and another calls in sick, you make up a schedule so the area from West Roberts north to McDavid, west to Dogwood pk and east to the river can be covered. If you’re up on Atmore Hwy and get a call at the Winn Dixie in Cantonment, you’ve got a little drive ahead of you. How can you make sure homes/businesses and everything else isn’t being stolen. It’s just a matter of time before the burglars start coming up there taking everything you own while you’re at work. Morgan told you folks he was going to put more officers up there. I can only assume you’re still waiting. Keep this in mind come re-election time. You’ll also see him more up that way as the election gets closer. You all take care up there. We’ve got you a real Police Officer getting ready to pre-file. This One doesn’t talk out both sides of his mouth. Hang in there.
Catch em, shoot em, bury em…….
I’d volunteer armed security for these irrigation systems on my off nights if someone wanted.
Stealing AC units from churches was bad enough, but stealing valuable equipment from THE PEOPLE THAT FEED THE NATION is short-sighted & reprehensible.
But if they were intelligent, moral individuals, they wouldn’t be thieves, would they?
These systems need to have some sort of alarm rigged into them. Low voltage that, if interrupted by the wire being cut, radios an alert to a receiver so the farmer can alert the Sheriff’s department. Catching them would be better than just scaring them off.
REGARDING”
“Now almost everyone is a suspect at the scrap yard.”
Or at least everyone with a large amount of copper wire.
What an ungodly, dispicable thing to do. GET A JOB theives. Have you completely hardened your hearts, thinking everyone is on the take, like you? Get a Life!!!
My dad used to farm in Cottage Hill. Now at 82 he has 1000 acres in Russell County, Al., near Hurtsboro. He has had tool thieves, shop equipment and even a pair of cattle rustlers(who are now serving time in a GA prison, when that time is up they will be prosecuted in Al).
Here in Nebraska a kid used an AK47 shooting from the hiway injuring cattle and horses. An awful lot of rural mischief going on. Rural residents need to watch out for each other, and report ALL suspicious activity!
What we need is one of the other crime fighters that become neighborhood
watch and listen to the people that report things so something can get done
other than retaliation on reporters by the criminals to shut them up.
We need someone like the Guardian Angels. These crooks aren’t from
out of state. Many of them are SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS,
PEOPLE YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
We ALL pay for the cost of crimes such as this.
If you know anything, call the Escambia County
Sheriff.
These crimes against us MUST STOP !!!!
They’re some sorry individuals and If the police would turn them in you all
would be supprised at what individuals are are doing ALL the theft around
here..
Many of the thieves around here have been reported over and over and
the police will not listen and say that it is someone else.
If they won’t investigate the right people, these people can not be caught.
Very Pitiful
– could it work.
seeing as they stole the wiring, they also stole the batteries, etc. on some of our irrigation systems. we could hook up a hot wire, but most hot wires pop, which would give it away. then again, if someone gets into it and gets hurt, we would be held liable. hopefully the police will catch these sorry fools, before they get hurt. farming may not be a popular job anymore, but those who do farm, will hurt you over their farm land.
I like “could it work”s idea ,but unfortunatley they made it illegal to set “HAMFUL” traps.So maybe something similar?
I love the way this small website reports 10 times the news the PNJ gets.
They just ran a laughable editorial on the bright future of online pay subscription sites. Why would anybody pay subscription rates when local startups are making ad revenue models work with no overhead except elbow grease?
PNJ’s days are numbered & instead of actually pounding the pavement looking for stories, they’re hunkered down whimpering, hoping somebody’ll knock on the door & hand them a check.
Look at the picture. There is a “rainbo” at the “end of the irrigation” the thieves have it coming to them.
These type of people make it harder on the ones who actualy save scrap and work honestly to get it. Now almost everyone is a suspect at the scrap yard.
While I am certainly not advocating such things,it does give one a certain understanding of countries that chop off the hands of those who steal.
thieves steal small parts of your life, the time it took to earn the money to buy what they stole.
one of these days we’re going to see where someone plowed their corpses into the fields
David hoping he can feel regret then
even if only that they were found
could you possibly hook electricity up to these rigs to shock the thieves???
We have had many of our irrigation rigs hit by these thieves. I mean seriously people, that would be like the dog who bits the hand of the people who feed him. DUMB MOVE! We had two brand new irrigation systems and the wiring is now GONE! Good note, who ever is doing it is getting a work out, they have to climb the irrigation system to cut the clips holding the wire. GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND WORK FOR YOUR MONEY! QUIT STEALING!!!!!!!!!!!