Tyler

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

QUITMAN — Once used by spies to conduct espionage, the technology of microdots is now being used in East Texas to thwart copper theft and help electric companies stifle an annual loss of more than $1 million.

Area law enforcement officers, Wood County Electric Cooperative representatives and salvage yard personnel attended the Wednesday morning unveiling of the new technology to be implemented by WCEC and other regional electric companies to help stop copper theft that has amounted to more than $4.3 million in East Texas alone.

“Anywhere there is copper use there is theft and we have a real responsibility to respond,” said Debbie Robinson, WCEC CEO and general manager.

She explained that theft of copper from electric companies causes power outages, higher electric bills and dangerous conditions for customers, thieves and those repairing the damage.

She said the system cost the cooperative about $30,000 and she believed it was an investment in protecting the infrastructure of the company.

Copper thieves not only hit electrical companies, but also strip oil field equipment, railroads, churches, schools and charitable organizations of the precious metal they sell to dealers.

Texas legislators have attempted to help by passing laws making copper theft a state jail felony and higher depending on the amount stolen.

David Barnes, of DataDOT, the company that sold WCEC the technology, said copper theft has risen 1,150 percent in recent years and continues to be a problem.

Barnes said the product would help deter crime through public education that the almost-invisible marking system is easily identified by those with the proper equipment.

The system marks the surface of the item being marked by applying tiny specs of information with a special adhesive that contains a ultra-violet trace that can be detected using a UV black light. Each of the DataDOT contains coded information that identifies the owner of item marked.

The information can be read by special scopes provided with each kit. The information can then be put in DataDOT’s Web site, where police will be given contact information as to who owns the property.

DataDOT is used in many industries worldwide and is hard to remove because they are resistant to most acids, solvents, salts and heat.

Barnes said metal dealers and police in the area would be provided kits needed to detect the markings so they could check copper materials when sold to dealers.

Wood County Sheriff Dwaine Daugherty said he was thrilled to have a new tool in fighting copper thieves.

“We have been hit exceptionally hard and this will help us tremendously,” he said. “It’s a wonderful tool and I want to thank them for the help they have provided.”

Ms. Robinson said Wednesday’s meeting with the media and local law enforcement was the first step to launch the program.

“This is an ongoing project to mark our equipment and 4,400 miles of line. It’s a minor investment compared to the amount of loss we have suffered,” she said.

Smith County Precinct 5 Constable Dennis Taylor said he was excited about the new technology.

“We have needed something like this and I think it’s just great,” he said. “Copper theft is like an epidemic and this will give us a better chance of stopping it.”

Ms. Robinson said, “We believe this product will offer WCEC a technological advantage and we hope it makes anyone think twice before vandalizing our system. Their actions are causing dangerous conditions for the public, which cannot be tolerated and they are costing electricity consumers millions.”

“With the marking of our equipment, stolen items will act as a beacon for seizure, enable arrests and ease prosecution,” she added. “I can’t think of a better deterrent.”

Law enforcement personnel from Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties examine the materials provided by DataDOT to tag and identify copper.
(Staff Photo By Jaime R. Carrero)