When Kenneth Hamilton got started in the scrap metal business 25 years ago, copper sold for around 35 cents a pound.
On Wednesday, copper finished at $2.97 per pound on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to Reuters.
The high prices have led to a nationwide rise in copper theft.
"Just in the last three or four years, when prices have been real high, have we seen people stealing it and trying to sell it," Hamilton said.
In a given month, Hamilton, who owns Hamilton Core Supply in Normangee, purchases 50 to 60 pounds of copper. Most of his business comes from crushing cars for wrecking yards and purchasing scrap iron, he said.
Hamilton said he has experience on both ends of the spectrum -- having had copper stolen from him and also catching those who try to sell the stolen metal.
"On one occasion, we had two boys we knew brought us a roll of copper wire about a year ago," he said. "I knew right away where it came from, so I called the police."
He said to prevent the likelihood of purchasing something that's been stolen, he copies the seller's driver's license and records the amount of copper purchased.
"Most of the time, you can just tell it's stolen from the way people act, though," he said.
About six months ago, he said, thieves stole copper wiring from a rental property he owns.
There has been a spike in copper theft at homes and businesses in the area, Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk said.
Local law enforcement agencies on Wednesday spent several hours searching for two men suspected of attempting to steal copper.
Kirk said deputies and a canine unit from the Bryan Police Department searched for the two men in a wooded area east and west of Texas 47 near Leonard Road from just after noon until 3:15 p.m.
Kirk said deputies did catch a man who was hiding from them in the area but he had not been charged as of Wednesday night. It was unclear if he was one of the men thought to be trying to steal copper.
The pair first attempted to steal copper from a site near the Texas A&M Riverside Campus, but were scared off by a truck driver entering the area, authorities said.
They then went to a well near Silver Hill and Leonard roads before the well operator chased them off, Kirk said.
Sheriff's deputies found their vehicle abandoned at the end of Linda Lane at 12:03 p.m.
Both could be charged with attempted theft, Kirk said.
The below map shows police calls reported by the College Station Police Department each day from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. (indicated by blue markers), police calls reported by the Bryan Police Department daily from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. (indicated by yellow markers), as well as incidents reported by The Eagle in Bryan, College Station and surrounding areas (indicated by red markers). Click on individual incidents or markers for details.
Editor's Note: The Eagle has produced this map based on information provided by the College Station and Bryan Police Departments. The map does not include all calls for service and the information is preliminary. Data provided by the police department may not accurately reflect the nature of the calls, and the status of reported incidents may change after further investigation. Locations are approximate.
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