It's a growing problem all across our region, people stealing copper and cashing it in. Huntington’s City Council has taken the first step in the battle against copper thieves.

The City Council unanimously passed a resolution to enforce the current law on the books that says:

Dealers shall list in a record book the full name and address of seller, description of material purchased, hour and day purchased, license number of automobile and operator's license number of any such seller.

This is similar to what pawn shops are doing now.

The copper thieves struck almost two years ago in Gallia County by stealing copper from telephone poles disrupting service for hundreds of people.

Three times in the last year people have been electrocuted messing with copper. Police say one man died at an electrical substation in Boone County.

Two months ago, bronze headstones were taken from veterans' graves and traded for cash.

The effort to combat copper criminals doesn't stop with this new resolution. Councilmember Jim Ritter hopes the County Commission will adopt a similar law for scrap yards in rural areas, and he hopes to spread the word to neighboring towns across state lines.

There will also be an ordinance on the agenda for City Council's next meeting to have scrap yards record the seller's information in an electronic upload to a computer database.