New Missouri law targets copper wire theft

Copper  |  2026-07-14 01:11:47   |   By

Senate Bill 903 creates a felony for unauthorized possession of certain copper, fiber, and telecommunications material.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A new Missouri law set to take effect at the end of August will give law enforcement officers a faster path to charging suspected copper wire thieves.

Deputies describe copper wire theft as a rampant problem in rural Greene County. Catching someone in the act is difficult, and finding stolen wire has not always been enough to immediately connect a suspect to a crime.

New law creates felony charge

Senate Bill 903 creates a felony for unauthorized possession of certain copper, fiber, and telecommunications material. If someone damages critical systems and interrupts service, the offense can become a Class C felony, regardless of the stolen material’s value.

Greene County Sheriff’s Office PIO Deputy Jonah Beadles said the law simplifies what investigators can do when they find wire in someone’s possession.

“Often what we see in the criminal element of this is we’ll catch somebody, say, and we just see a pile of coiled-up wire or cable,” Beadles said. “Anybody knows that that’s not a good situation. We can presume that that is not there legally and it doesn’t belong to them. So now we’re able to see that, recognize it, document it.”

Safety risks for thieves

Darren Deal, line superintendent for Ozarks Electric Co-op, said the thefts also create safety hazards.

“The dangers they’re creating is to themselves by being in too close of proximity without the training to know what can potentially harm or kill them and what can’t harm or kill them,” Deal said.

Protections for authorized workers

The law protects utility workers, contractors, recyclers, and others authorized to possess the material. Beadles said legitimate workers should have credentials, paperwork, or a company vehicle identifying why they have it.

Beadles said the new charge will not significantly change how deputies investigate cases, but will allow them to act more quickly.

“It’s not really going to change the way we investigate it at all. But we are going to be able to take more prompt action,” Beadles said. “It just makes it very simple. It straight-lines and streamlines the process for us.”

Deputies will be briefed on the new charge before it takes effect. Anyone who sees someone cutting or removing wire is asked not to confront them, but to call 911 immediately and share any surveillance video with investigators.

Courtesy: www.ky3.com