As the price of copper continues to rise, one company that is a frequent victim of theft of the metal has offered a $10,000 reward to stop the crime.

A spokesman at Duquesne Light Co. said many of its 211 electric power substations and 300 others in the region are vulnerable to the thieves.

“Obviously, the main concern for us is the safety of our workers. And [thefts] can really cause interruptions for customers in the area,” spokesman Joseph Vallarian said.

“It’s just dangerous in general” to steal wiring and casings from such facilities, he continued. “That’s not a place to be playing around.”

Indeed, police in New Castle are investigating an incident in which Jonathan Donofrio, 30, was found dead Sunday inside a factory that uses high voltage wires and a substation.

Mr. Donofrio, who was convicted in 2002 on burglary charges, is suspected of having gone to the facility, New Castle Refractories, to steal copper.

Several tools and pieces of copper were found in a bag near his body.

“It’s an ongoing problem,” Mr. Vallarian said.

Thieves go after copper wire and tubing, even when the wires are live, because the metal is a valuable commodity for resale at scrap yards.

According to MoneyMorning.com, copper value has increased at an average rate of about 4 percent a year every year since 1900.

In 2006, scrap yards in this region were paying about $2 a pound for copper.

The rate is now about $3 a pound, according to the NYMEX index.

Duquesne Light substations in Allegheny and Beaver counties have been targeted by thieves.

Mr. Vallarian said the reward is offered for information about the thefts and about any scrap yard that pays for stolen copper.

In recent years, scrap yards have begun to keep track of their clientele. The paper trail then can be followed if the scrap turns out to have been stolen.

“[Junkyard operators] know their clientele better now than they used to,” said George Boehm, vice president at Noralco Corp. in Penn Hills. “We don’t pay cash for anything. We pay by check.”