I think it's probably a little bit of both. Copper prices have zoomed upwards, but it's also fact that crime rates tend to go up during economic downturns.

Around here, I know that copper thefts from construction sites out here have been on the rise for a few years. It's not just the wiring, but the pipes as well. With the severe downturn in the housing market, a lot of unfinished housing sites have been abandoned, leaving a totally open house for thieves.

I've also heard of thieves targeting neighborhoods with a lot of foreclosures. They'll target those houses once the owners get evicted, and basically ransack the place for any resellable building materials.

With this economy, I guess if not for the abundance of foreclosed and abandoned properties out here, then these lowlifes might be targeting the utility stations as well.