SaskPower and Saskatoon Police Join Forces to Tackle Copper Theft
In response to growing demand for stolen copper, SaskPower and Saskatoon Police are setting up a task force that will tackle the issue and raise awareness.
“SaskPower continues to see cases of copper theft from our substations and other facilities,” said Sean McKim, Director of Enterprise Security at SaskPower, in a recent media report. “Thieves are placing themselves and SaskPower employees at serious risk. It’s simply inexcusable and must be stopped,” he said, noting the problem has worsened in recent years.
McKim says that SaskPower customers have faced power outages as a result of copper theft in several instances, which can endanger the general public at times of extreme heat or cold. Further, burning copper can create dangerous levels of heavy metals in the air that are harmful to the environment.
SaskPower is working to replace existing copper parts in its electrical equipment with alternatives, when and where possible. Increased monitoring and a stronger security presence is also underway on SaskPower sites that are at risk.
Sgt. Jason Pfeil of the Saskatoon Police Service General Investigations unit noted that copper theft is often linked to other criminal activity, such as the drug trade. Thieves often trade metal for cash at salvage yards, making the activity difficult to trace.
“Criminals mistakenly believe that copper theft is an easy source of revenue without realizing they’re putting their lives at risk,” said Pfeil. In December, fire believed to result from someone melting copper in a fireplace destroyed a home in nearby Grandora. During a search of the property and a detached garage, RCMP found a spool of copper wire. The occupant had fled the scene before fire crews and police arrived.
