Copper Thieves Targeting Southern Alberta ‘Quite Hard,’ RCMP Say
Police in Alberta are investigating a series of copper thefts that have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to farms and industrial operations despite provincial efforts to crack down on scrap-metal theft. RCMP in the southern Alberta town of Bassano said on Nov. 9 that they were investigating the theft of nearly $100,000 in copper wire from an oil site near the hamlet of Gem, about 130 kilometres east of Calgary. The theft took place overnight on Oct. 12, leaving extensive damage at the site, police said. Officers collected evidence for forensic testing to help identify the suspects. Sgt. Joe Schmidt, detachment commander of the Bassano RCMP, told The Epoch Times that copper theft has been a serious issue since he began working at the detachment four years ago. He said thieves target southern Alberta “quite hard,” and thefts increase as the price of scrap metal rises.
Police in Alberta are investigating numerous copper thefts that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to farms and industrial operations. A recent theft of nearly $100,000 in copper wire from an oil site near Gem caused extensive damage. The Bassano RCMP detachment commander noted that copper theft is a significant issue, particularly in southern Alberta, and tends to increase with rising scrap metal prices.
- Alberta police are investigating a series of copper thefts causing significant financial damage.
- A recent theft of nearly $100,000 in copper wire occurred at an oil site near Gem.
- The thefts have caused extensive damage to farms and industrial operations.
- Copper theft is a persistent issue in southern Alberta, according to RCMP Sgt. Joe Schmidt.
- The frequency of thefts increases as scrap metal prices rise.
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