That's the usual car stereo theft economics: cause $1,000 of damage to sell a $100 radio for $10.

Why hasn’t the economist of the world figured out a solution to this problem. There has to be a better way when both sides would be better off by just paying the theif double. Some kind of proof of work system to show that you really are crazy enough to do the crime maybe.

Other than those who commit grave offenses of bodily harm, I reserve my greatest disgust for the type of dirtbag who imposes these orders-of-magnitude greater costs on other innocent people for such a relatively low "reward." They'd burn the Mona Lisa for fuel, melt down the Statue of Liberty for scrap, anything if you let them.

I agree with another commenter here, the overlap of this mindset with tweakers is large.

>Somewhere between $1,360 - $6,400 of scrap value

If it's a "normal" wire specification that someone else can use it was likely sold for ~50% of retail.