When it comes to thefts, authorities are encouraging homeowners to be proactive. Officer Pete Shaw, of Chillicothe, said concealing your property is the best deterrent.
"Get it out of public view so anybody that's driving down the street just can't turn their head and say, 'There's a pile of metal; let's come back when it's dark and steal it.'"
Installing motion-censored lights outside of your home, he said, will also possibly startle trespassing criminals.
Officer Shaw recommends those who have any unwanted scrap metal take it to a junk yard and scrap it: "I'd rather see the owner of the metal get the money than the criminal."
In addition, he said criminals put themselves in danger when they start cutting electrical and copper wiring.
"Anytime you mess around with that stuff you're always susceptible to electrical shock," he said, "Unfortunately, these criminals are very desperate to cut this wiring even straight off the pole."
