By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Editor

THESE organizational problems probably hold true at the Department of Public Safety as well, where officials gave the copper thieves a green light when they announced recently that all investigative resources were dedicated to solving a homicide case. This public announcement gave the copper thieves an “Advance To Go (Collect $200)” card, and away the thieves went, relieving CUC of copper wire at 12 water wells, among an untold number of other thefts.
On Guam, the copper thieves were nabbed within weeks. Our DPS officials might also want to note that the thieves here can handle “hot wire,” removing copper from power lines. They are also knowledgeable enough to know that water wells have copper wire and they know how to remove it.
Now if local investigative resources have been sapped by a single homicide case, maybe DPS officials should call the federal investigators for assistance. The public paid for the equipment and materials that the copper thieves are taking, and will have to ante up again to replace the equipment that was damaged or removed. Residents are already paying more than any U.S. jurisdiction for average power usage — must they pay still more for these thefts and the cost of replacement?