Copper Theft in Sykesville: Is This a Regional Problem?
The incident that recently occurred in Sykesville could be more common than you think.
Maryland State Police charged two men on Jan. 18 in the theft of copper, aluminum and steel from the former Henryton Center in Sykesville, a former psychiatric facility.
While the incident that resulted in Mark Dewayne Walker, 46, of Rockville, and Billy Joe Chapman, 54, of Boyds, being charged with theft and related offenses may appear to be a local event, the material they were allegedly targeting is part of a broader crime trend.
Surrounding areas have seen an increase in the theft of copper and items made out of copper.
According to an article in the Washington Post, as of Jan. 21 there were three major thefts of copper in that region since Jan. 1. One of those thefts involved copper wire valued at about $7,000 from a warehouse on Robertson Drive in Manassas, VA.
Since Dec. 8, 2011, there have been 12 incidents in which copper pipes or items containing copper have been stolen from unoccupied homes, according to a Baltimore County Police press release.
The time of day that the thefts have occurred has varied, but the thieves took several hours to take the material.
