It's lightweight, valuable and often right out in the open.
Increasing copper-wire thefts have caused Florida legislators to take action.
The wire - found in air conditioning units, construction sites and electrical wiring - can be stripped of its insulation and sold to recycling companies. In Gainesville, the stripped wire goes for more than $2 a pound.
In Florida, it may soon become more difficult to resell copper wire and other scrap metals.
A law going into effect Oct. 1 will require recycling companies to maintain records on every client bringing in scrap metal, including a name, description, thumb print, identification number, address and signature.
Recycling companies will also not be allowed to pay cash for scrap metal worth more than $1,000.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Baxter Troutman, a Republican representing Winter Haven. He refers to it as his copper-wire bill.
"I did it because I got pissed off," said Troutman, who lost $4,200 in May 2007 when the wire was stolen from his citrus irrigation system.
"The real scary part and the real frustrating part is it jeopardized the fruit crops, which are worth well over $100,000," Troutman said.
Keaton Russ, manager of Gulf Coast Metals, a recycling company on Waldo Road, said he recognizes the need for tighter regulations, though they might be difficult to adjust to at first.
"It probably may be a hassle for the customer, but with rising copper thefts, it's getting to be a hassle for law enforcement," Russ said.
Many recycling companies are already starting to comply with the new law, he said. Gulf Coast Metals currently records names, addresses and drivers license numbers for all its customers. A license plate number is required for all sales except for metal cans.
Another law targeting copper-wire theft also goes into effect Oct. 1, making it a first-degree felony to interfere with a utility or phone company's services.
Meanwhile, an increase in wire thefts - including a $10,000 loss Aug. 17 to All Florida Electric - have caused the Gainesville Police Department to be on alert, spokeswoman Summer Hallett said.
A special GPD police detail caught its first offender early Wednesday morning in a Northeast Gainesville industrial park.
James Michael Williams Jr., 23, admitted to police that he took wire from the back of a truck and put it in his own. Wire in the first truck had been partially pulled out and cut, and Williams' vehicle contained bolt cutters and more of the same wire.
Police will continue to be on the lookout for wire thefts, Hallett said.
"This is not just a Gainesville problem," she said. "This is a nationwide problem."
