Thieves at night have been stealing copper wiring from Regional Transportation District rail tracks in metro Denver, disrupting transit system circuitry and causing malfunctions and delays.

They’ve struck a dozen times in the last 10 days, RTD assistant general manager for rail operations Dave Jensen said in an interview.

This is the latest surge in a pattern the FBI has observed for more than a decade in which global economic demand for copper creates opportunities for criminals. The thefts have complicated an already difficult summer for RTD officials who, for months, have been scrambling to handle track maintenance problems and ensure safety for riders on buses and trains.

“If they grab the wires associated with our power, it will shut us down,” Jensen said.

On Tuesday, a theft targeted RTD’s A Line that carries riders from the downtown Union Station to Denver International Airport, impairing signal systems, officials said. On Monday, a similar theft along the A Line led to malfunctions that forced RTD officials to ferry DIA-bound rail riders onto buses between Union Station and Central Park Station.

Multiple thefts targeted copper wires along the G Line west of Denver and the R Line that links Aurora and south metro Denver.

Pull the wrong wires from RTD systems, Jensen warned, and thieves could be electrocuted. Trains also could hit them along the tracks where thefts have occurred, he said.

“It’s a crime of opportunity,” Jensen said. “They know there is demand for copper. Typically it is not organized. It is people looking for a quick dollar and an easy way to get it.”

Thieves have escaped with up to 100 feet of wire — far less than would be available on spools in RTD’s maintenance yards.

Aurora and Denver police have been notified.

The overall damage has cost nearly $10,000, officials estimated. The agency repair work is expected to cost another $10,000.

Each theft caused problems including train delays and crossing gates staying down along roads. Some of the wires power low-voltage systems that control signals where rails cross roads. Other wires control sensor systems that show the locations of RTD trains. Most of the thefts happened at night across RTD’s 120-mile network of tracks.

RTD officials this week appealed to the public for help catching thieves. Blue signs along tracks give phone numbers people can call. Tips can be provided anonymously using RTD’s Transit Watch app, officials said, and by calling the agency’s transit police dispatchers at 303-299-2911 or texting 303-434-9100.

Public transit systems nationwide have been hit with thefts of copper wires. Two years ago, the RTD faced a similar surge. Stepped-up surveillance led to arrests and identified a license plate on a suspect vehicle, which proved to be stolen.

At a recent industry conference in Toronto, rail transit operators discussed possible responses. RTD officials in Denver have been covering more of their wiring with wood and this week were placing tracking sensors on wires.

An FBI intelligence assessment in 2008 anticipated thefts in response to rising demand for copper in China, India and other booming economies “driving the demand for raw materials such as copper and creating a robust international trade.”

Thieves sell the wires to recyclers who then can sell the copper to scrap dealers for use in mills, boundaries and various industries, the FBI report said. The tighter the supply of copper becomes globally, analysts found, the bigger the demand for illicit copper.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.

Originally Published: August 1, 2024 at 11:19 a.m.