Burglars posing as Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. workers stole copper wire from a BGE transmission tower in Kingsville on April 27, police said.

A nearby resident reported seeing two men arrive at the tower site on the 11000 block of Philadelphia Road about 9:30 a.m. They drove a white Ford F-150 truck with a BGE placard attached, the witness said.

The men cut a piece of copper wire, about 6 to 8 feet long and worth about $15, and caused about $350 in damage before leaving the site, police said.

Investigators contacted BGE to confirm that the men were not on-duty workers, police said.

The witness described one burglar as a white man, 5 feet 10, about 220 pounds, 40-45 years old with long brown hair, and the other burglar as a white man, 6 feet 1, about 200 pounds with gray hair, according to the police report.

An investigating officer said an "alarming number of metal thefts" have been reported as the market price for precious metals has steadily risen over the past year. Police encourage residents to lock areas of their homes and businesses that may be vulnerable to metal theft.