Sheriff warns of battery thefts

Sheriff Brett Myers issued a warning to Whitman County residents of a ring of battery thieves striking the area. Myers said his deputies have received reports of large-scale battery thefts in the Pullman and LaCrosse areas.

The thieves, he said, are targeting farm equipment and large trucks that contain multiple batteries. In each case, between 15 and 25 batteries were taken from vehicles parked or stored close to each other.

High prices for lead has doubled or tripled the price salvage centers will pay for used battery cores, said Myers.

Salvage yards in Lewiston and Spokane have been reporting increased numbers of people bringing in thousands of pounds of used batteries. Some have reported as many as seven battery transactions every day.

Some are legitimate, said Myers, with people paying farmers for their used batteries and turning them into recycling centers for profits.

Myers said he was tipped off by an insurance agent who noticed a large number of battery thefts from farms in Spokane County. He said similar reports have come from Latah and Nez Perce counties.

Myers is asking the public’s assistance in providing information which may lead to the arrest and prosecution of battery thieves. He also urged farmers to be vigilant for suspicious activity and to make sure to secure the batteries in their equipment, cars and semis.