Honolulu police pursuing brazen copper thieves have run up against a snag in their efforts to apprehend those responsible.

Even in cases where officers have found people stripping large quantities of electric wiring for copper, they've been unable to make an arrest because it's impossible to prove the material is stolen.

The wiring is generic, even before the outer covering is removed, making it nearly impossible to trace and make arrests, said District 8 (Kapolei-Wai'anae) burglary/theft Lt. Mike Johnson.

Nearly 600 pounds of electrical wiring that was seized by officers while it was being stripped at isolated locations in Kapolei and Halawa now sit unclaimed at an evidence storage facility in Kalihi.

An estimated 500 pounds was recovered Sept. 17 off an access road under the H-1 Freeway viaduct in back of Kapolei Knolls subdivision. About 50 to 70 pounds of wiring was seized Sept. 20 in an isolated area off Moanalua Freeway near Aloha Stadium.

Officials from the state Department of Transportation, Hawaiian Electric Co. and Hawaiian Telcom checked out the suspected stolen wiring found in Kapolei but could not positively identify it as belonging to them.

In both cases, the people who were stripping the wiring said they found it, which does not give police enough probable cause to make a theft arrest.

"What we need is for people to report suspicious activity while it's happening," Johnson said.

Meanwhile, copper thefts from street lights have plunged stretches of H-1 Freeway into darkness, and there is no immediate plan to replace the wiring and get lights back on.

ALUMINUM AN OPTION

The state is holding off replacing copper wiring and is exploring options involving a switch to aluminum, said Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

Further delay in getting the freeway lights back on is unacceptable, said Maeda Timson, Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board chairwoman.

"We've heard the same thing from the state for three months, and if nothing happens by our next meeting, I think our board should take some kind of action," Timson said. "Safety is the primary issue. We want them to replace the copper wiring now and get the lights back on.

"They say the copper will be stolen again but they're compromising our safety by not doing it."

Ishikawa said: "We understand their safety concerns. If we replace the (copper) wiring and it's stolen again, they will still be in the dark."

NO EFFECTIVE DETERRENT

Theft for copper has grown into a million-dollar crime, not only in Hawai'i but nationally, because there's no effective strategy to stop it.

Since May, copper thieves have caused an estimated $300,000 in damage to state freeways along the central and west O'ahu corridor, ripping out wiring from about 100 light fixtures and leaving stretches of darkness in these primary areas: from the H-1/H-2 interchange through the Ka Uka Boulevard and Pineapple Road overpasses; two miles on H-1 westbound between the Kunia and Makakilo exits; and three miles eastbound on the same freeway coming out of 'Ewa toward Waipahu.

Hawaiian Electric Co. has had 20 copper-theft incidents this year at various locations, and at least six of them have resulted in outages, according to Jim Beavers, HECO's manager of safety/security and facilities. Thieves also are ripping off copper gutters and air-conditioning units from homes.

"It's various groups. I'm certain it's not one person or one group," Johnson said.

A PRETTY PENNY

Because it withstands corrosion, has high electrical conductivity and is recyclable, copper fetches a high price, which fuels thefts. Rick Chon of Aiea Recycling said the going rate is between $2 and $2.70 a pound.

There's no one strategy, here or nationally, to deal with the problem.

In Hawai'i, recyclers are being required to check identification of people they are purchasing from. HECO has put together a visual of sample copper wiring it uses and has asked recyclers to let them know if any shows up, Beavers said.

Police are taking a proactive approach, said Assistant Chief Michael Tamashiro, head of HPD's regional bureau, which covers the central and west traffic corridors. Kapolei officers have been advised to check on vehicles parked on the side of freeways and what may appear to be roadside work.

"These guys know what they're doing," Tamashiro said of thieves ripping off the wiring from freeway lights. "During the day, they may be disguised as maintenance workers. We should check on what they're doing."

Tamashiro said crime reduction units will get involved to gather intelligence. "We can find copper, but our problem is it has to be reported stolen and we have to tie people and evidence together," he said.

DOING WHAT THEY CAN

Recyclers are feeling heat and are concerned about public perception that they're doing something wrong.

"We check ID and do what we can," said Takeo Okuda of Okuda Metal Inc. "I've been in business 55 years and my reputation is impeccable."

Chon added: "Somebody bring in copper, I check the ID. But where it comes from, I don't know."

Beavers recalled that two thieves from Leeward O'ahu were electrocuted while trying to steal copper wiring about 10 years ago, ending a rash of thefts that affected only HECO.

Beavers said what might appear to be an inactive ground wire could easily be activated without the thief knowing.

On Aug. 8, a man reportedly trying to steal wiring at Beckley Park in Kalihi was badly burned. HECO investigated but the wiring was determined to belong to the city.

"They don't understand the dangers," Beavers said. "Somebody's going to die from this. It's something waiting to happen."

At least seven men in five states have been electrocuted since July while hacking through power lines to steal copper, according to a Gannett News Service report on Sept. 28.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.