Squamish RCMP dealt with three separate incidents involving the theft of copper wire during the past week, including two such incidents last Thursday (June 2).
At around 1:04 p.m., police received a report of wire having been stolen from a pump station along Government Road. A person or persons gained access to the property by breaking off two padlocks, then stripped and cut wires from outside the building, RCMP Sgt. Eric Rochette said in a statement.
The same day, police responding to another report arrived at the corner of Westway Avenue and Plateau Drive in Valleycliffe to find that copper wire from three streetlamp standards had been stolen. The lamp standards were not working at the time, he said.
On Tuesday (June 7) at 5:02 a.m., police responding to a report of a theft in progress at a business on Pemberton Avenue in downtown Squamish were told that two young males were seen at the rear of the business and appeared to be cutting up wire and putting it in a bag. RCMP patrols in the area resulted in the arrest of two males matching witnesses' descriptions. Police also found tools and other evidence that could be related to the incident in the area where the two were found. They were arrested for theft and released at the scene, Rochette said.
Copper's value has increased over the past few years, resulting in a rise in the number of incidents involving the theft of copper across the country. In Squamish, the theft of copper is "prevalent," Rochette said. Residents and business owners are asked to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, especially at remote sites where copper wire and accessories may be present.
"Copper thieves just keep getting bolder. Thieves will often climb power poles, scale fences and break into buildings just to obtain a few dollars' worth of metal," he said.
Anyone with information about the above incidents is asked to contact Squamish RCMP at (604) 892-6100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
