The high price of copper is hitting home — literally. The metal’s skyrocketing scrap value is inspiring criminals to hit houses, making off with copper coils in air-conditioning units, copper wires, even the copper pipes used for plumbing, leaving some perplexed residents without running water. In the past several months, police departments across the country have reported a surge in the number of copper-related thefts at homes, businesses and elsewhere.

Driven by increased world demand for commodities, prices of steel, copper, aluminum and other metals are at historic highs. The price of copper has more than doubled in the past year, closing yesterday at $3.65 a pound on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price of copper scrap — which is processed and sold to metal-making firms — has also doubled, with high-grade scrap now fetching around $3 or more per pound at scrapyards, and lower-grade scrap less, depending on quality, according to scrap-metal dealers. Copper isn’t the only metal sought by thieves. Products made from aluminum and steel are also being targeted — everything from beer kegs to aluminum luggage carts. But thefts of copper — which commands a higher price — are especially onerous for homeowners and builders, as the metal is used throughout modern homes, including the inner coil of central air-conditioning units, electrical systems, gutters and water pipes.

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