This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Copper thieves forced about 1,000 West Jordan homes and businesses to lose power Monday morning.
The thieves broke through several layers of security at a Rocky Mountain Power substation overnight before cutting out copper at the facility, said company spokesman Jeff Hymas.
"This is extremely dangerous and concerning behavior. Someone who breaks into an electrical substation is putting their own life at risk," Hymas said. "In a substation like this, there is equipment with high-voltage electricity running through it. Only trained and authorized personnel are allowed to enter substations."
Besides that, repairing the damage adds to the company's cost of providing service to customers, Hymas added.
Repair crews had to cut power to the station to make repairs. About 950 customers were left in the dark from about 11:17 a.m. to 11:51 a.m.
The company has been in contact with the West Jordan Police Department and encourages anyone with information to call law enforcement.
Metal theft has been a growing problem for the last several years and Rocky Mountain Power has been working with law enforcement, and others, to address it, Hymas said. In November, the Salt Lake City Police Department hosted a training session to help investigators catch up with the taxing trend.
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