Reach for the Sky and Hand over Those Tomatoes

Commodities prices are rising very quickly, partly because of demand increases from rapidly-emerging economies like China, India and Brazil, partly because of speculation, partly because of natural disasters and partly because the dollar is weakening from deficit-driven inflationary pressures. Copper, for example, which had fallen to as low as $1.30 a pound three years ago, crossed over into the $4+ range of late: “For the first nine months of 2010, demand for refined copper worldwide exceeded supply by about 480,000 tons, according to the International Copper Study Group, a global organization that researches copper issues. That compares with about a 60,000-ton deficit through the first nine months of 2000.” AzStarNet.com (Arizona Daily Star), January 2^nd. Technical stuff, but thieves are watching; copper wire theft is booming.

This October 23, 2010 story, reported by Los Angeles television station KABC, show the extremes folks were willing to go to lift installed copper wiring from a live installation: “1 Dead, 1 Burned in Copper Wire Theft” went the headline, and the story went on to say, “A man was killed and a woman was left with critical burns Saturday apparently while attempting to steal copper wire from an electrical vault that exploded in South Gate, according to authorities… Two children, a 3-year-old and 6-year-old, were found in a truck parked near the lot… Police said they believe they are the couple's children. They were unharmed and taken into protective custody.” Sad stuff in desperate times, but this is just one example of copper theft that has seen abandoned homes stripped of their wiring, work sites pillaged for copper, etc.

But it’s not just copper or metals that are being purloined by thieves; it’s commodities in general. Fruits and vegetables even! This April 14th New York Times story tells it all: “Late last month, a gang of thieves stole six tractor-trailer loads of tomatoes and a truck full of cucumbers from Florida growers. They also stole a truckload of frozen meat. The total value of the illegal haul: about $300,000… The thieves disappeared with the shipments just after the price of Florida tomatoes skyrocketed after freezes that badly damaged crops in Mexico. That suddenly made Florida tomatoes a tempting target, on a par with flat-screen TVs or designer jeans, but with a big difference: tomatoes are perishable.” Police believe these guys are experts, tracking and planning their theft as they track posted commodities values. Heists follow big price in creases!

They’re clever, creating business sites that appear to be middlemen or freight brokers, a routine part of the trucking industry. They set up, take the shipments and disappear. “‘They were just sitting and waiting, watching the produce because they knew it was climbing,’ said Clifford Holland, the owner of the transportation brokerage firm Old North State, which was a victim of the gang. ‘It was like a snake in the grass and they struck.’… In the produce industry, buyers and sellers typically use freight brokers as middlemen to hire the trucking companies that carry goods from place to place… The thieves apparently began watching Web sites where brokers posted notices trying to connect trucking companies with loads they need carried.” NY Times. Truckloads of fruits and vegetables are disappearing with increasing frequency from all over the United States, and police are woefully under -prepared for these expert scammers. It’s a sign of the times, but it is also a hidden reflection of the downsizing of the average American lifestyle, paying more, earning and learning how to live with less.

I’m Peter Dekom, and there are tea leaves everywhere looking for readers.