Seems to me AK 47 equipped security guards on all public buildings and retail establishments would slow the booming copper theft and flash mob theft rings a bit. Just sayin...if it doesn't stop soon...that will start. Saw it in South America...will see it here as it gets nuts. Being a copper thief or flash mobster will shorten your life span substantially.

Rash Of Copper Wire Thefts Plague Vallejo Schools; Start Of School Year May Be Threatened

Copper theft is nothing new in the Bay Area. But thieves have been particularly busy in Vallejo, where several schools were stripped of the valuable metal in recent weeks.