Schools aren't immune from the surge of crime accompanying the spike in copper prices.

In the last school year, Richmond County saw more than $175,000 in costs for labor and materials as a result of vandalism and break-ins, Maintenance and Facilities Director Benton Starks said.

Of that amount, more than $135,000 is tied to damages caused by thieves stealing copper or attempting to steal it, he said. But that cost is a low estimate.

Without a doubt, that's an increase from over a year ago, Mr. Starks said.

The dollar amounts were collected from about 30,000 work orders and might not include every criminal incident.

It also doesn't include the most recent damage Wednesday night, when someone broke into Spirit Creek Middle and ransacked offices.

The costs are absorbed by Mr. Stark's department budget and are passed on to Richmond County taxpayers.

There's a domino effect when it comes to the cost of crime, said Sgt. Ken Eskew, a property crimes investigator for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. The costs tend to fall on the average homeowner.

"It's a huge problem," he said, adding that one of his investigators has specifically been assigned to cover scrap yards, which have been cooperative in dealing with suspicious transactions.

Building contractors have fallen victim also, forcing them to protect against thefts during school construction projects.

"They're taking some drastic measures to keep metal locked up," Sgt. Eskew said, describing some thieves who use heavy machinery to wedge open doors closed after hours.

Construction supplies can be "easy pickings" for someone who doesn't want to work for a living.

With the increase in school property crimes, the sheriff's office has increased its visibility as a deterrent, he said.

"We don't want to take away from our patrols in the neighborhoods, but the schools need to be protected too," Sgt. Eskew said.

The rash of criminal damage this past school year has also prompted Mr. Starks to request more money in the upcoming budget to deal with vandalism and to erect fences around air-conditioning units.