Copper wire theft is on the rise across Canada, including here in Edmonton. This is a trend that has a significant impact on businesses and governments, but also on private homes. The price of copper has grown significantly, making it a very attractive commodity for thieves. A high sales price means that thieves can make a decent amount of money on a fairly small amount of copper. Couple the higher sales price with the steady inflation most nations are currently seeing, and you have a lot more people tempted to steal copper to make some extra money. While most copper thieves target copper wiring and wiring harnesses, the material has many different uses. Copper can also be found in some hospital equipment, jewelry, car parts, pipes and plumbing, etc. In January 2023, a Church southeast of Edmonton had its bell stolen (Church bells often consist mostly of copper). 

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Copper Theft is Expensive

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Unfortunately, copper theft is expensive. It is expensive for those affected to replace the stolen copper, repairing damages comes with a hefty price tag, and sometimes, copper thieves pay the ultimate price. While many individuals do appear to have at least some working knowledge of electrical wiring, others do not and have perished due to electrocution. 

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In August 2022, a trucking business in Lac La Biche, Calnash Trucking, had between half a million to $750,000 worth of copper wiring stolen overnight. 

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In February 2023, a recreation centre in Fort Saskatchewan found significant damage done to the skating rink's cooling system after a thief stole some copper pipe. The damages came to approximately $125,000. 

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Private homeowners, as well as renters, are also directly affected by copper theft. When a thief cuts wires that power an entire neighbourhood, homes can be without electricity for days before the damage is fixed. 

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How to Prevent Copper Theft

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If you are a business owner that deals with copper, a construction or restoration site, or anyone else who is wanting to know what can be done to reduce copper theft, here are some practical ideas for you:

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• Ensure that premises are well-lit. Thieves prefer to do their work in the dark so as to not be identified. Light can be a great first step to deterring theft
• Get inside the mind of a thief: as you walk around your home, job site, business, etc., which weak areas do you see? If you were a thief, what might you notice and take advantage of?
• Team up with neighbours and neighbouring businesses. Swapping ideas and looking out for each other can go a long way!
• Keep expensive materials and tools under lock and key not just at the end of a work day but also during the day, when not in use
• If you're on a job site, walk around and assess how many points of entry you have. Keep these to a minimum (ideally, one) 
• Hire security guards 

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As copper theft becomes a weekly occurrence for some businesses, more are choosing to invest in private security guard services.

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Unfortunately, cameras often lose their connection. You may miss recording anything at all, or even if your cameras catch something, it's likely that the quality was bad or the thieves had no problem disguising themselves. And, even if you film something, you still have to deal with the giant headache of stolen copper and costly repairs. 

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A guard can prevent this issue from even happening in the first place, as thieves generally aren't too keen on attempting a robbery when they see marked vehicles and guards in uniform. If something does happen, guards are there on-site to immediately catch and identify any suspicious persons.

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As seen in this video, thieves are willing to risk a lot in the hopes of snagging some copper wiring. The clip also shows the shortcomings of security cameras, as it didn't take much for the suspects to disguise themselves. Had a security guard been on site, the thieves would have likely been deterred from even attempting this robbery, or they would have immediately been caught. 

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If you're looking for security guard services in Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas, we encourage you to connect with us. We offer free, no-obligation consultations. We would love to talk with you about your unique needs and find security solutions that work with your budget.  At Maxx Security Services, are passionate about what we do, we're good at it, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards. We love our community and are honoured to serve by keeping individuals and their livelihoods safe.  Send us an e-mail via the contact form on our website, or call us at 780-235-3847.