Since January of 2012 to about October of 2012. There have been about 800 metal thefts in the City of Tucson. Costing the city over two million dollars
The latest victim to metal theft, Tucson College of Beauty near Roger and Flowing Wells. Last week copper was stolen from a backflow valve. The end result, the beauty school didn't have any water. "One of the students came to me and was like the toilet isn't flushing, that's when I knew we didn't have any water," said Cheryl Komzak the director of the school.
This isn't the first time their backflow was hit. This summer copper was stolen from the same area. It cost the management company almost $2,000 each time to repair the valve and the copper.
It also cost the school money and students lost hours towards their license. Komzak said, "At least $500, of course the students losing their hours they have to come back in another day."
The Metropolitan Pima Alliance started a program to help businesses and communities stop metal theft. The program is called Pima County Metal Watch. It offers prevention, items metal thieves look for and prosecution. The group has discovered ways to combat metal theft. "We have learned through our process to try and prevent this problem, there are now plastic backflow preventers to replace copper ones," said Amber Smith from the MPA.
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