Latest news with #coppertheft
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
CTV National News: Thieves steal copper wires from telephone poles in remote communities
Watch Copper theft continues to grow throughout North America, causing power outages in some remote Nova Scotia areas. CTV News' Paul Hollingsworth reports.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Thieves strip copper wire from South Florida streetlights in multi-city crime spree, officials say
A stretch of Military Trail between Hillsboro Boulevard and Copans Road is in the dark after thieves stripped copper wire from streetlights in what officials are calling a regional crime spree. Streetlights in Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Coconut Creek and Margate have all been targeted, with law enforcement investigating the thefts as the possible work of an organized ring. "All of them": Copper theft hits hard "The lights are missing from Hillsboro and Military all the way down to Copans Road, which takes you into the city of Pompano Beach," said Rebecca Medina Stewart with the City of Deerfield Beach. She said crooks stole copper wiring from every street light in a three-mile stretch of Military Trail from Deerfield Beach to Pompano Beach. CBS News Miami asked her whether it was just a few lights. "All of them," she said. "From what I understand, it's been all of them on both sides of the street, and they were in and out very quickly, because it happened over the course of one night," she added, describing the thefts as fast and possibly coordinated. Residents shocked by bold crime Residents are reacting with disbelief as major roadways remain dark at night. "I think there's no limit to what thieves will do," said Allan Cohen, who lives nearby. "It's gotten to this now. People steal quite a bit, but I never heard [of] copper wire from streetlights," added resident Ralph Franco. "That's a new one to me." BSO: Crime spanning multiple cities The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating and calling this a regional issue, noting that in addition to Deerfield and Pompano, both Coconut Creek and Margate have reported similar copper thefts in the past two years. Detectives have not yet confirmed suspects but are exploring the likelihood of an organized group targeting public infrastructure for scrap value.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Late-night encounter on shopping centre roof highlights sinister new trend
A sinister new crime trend sweeping across Australia, and causing millions of dollars worth of damage, appears to show no signs of slowing down. A 50-year-old man was arrested on Sunday night after police allege he and another man tried to steal copper from a building under construction in Townsville. Footage released by Queensland authorities shows two officers climbing onto the shopping centre's roof before shining a torch on a man standing in the corner wearing a camouflage shirt and hood. One of the officers is then seen taking photos of a wheelie bin brimming with copper cables. The 50-year-old is now facing numerous charges, including entering a premises with intent to commit an indictable offence and possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence. He will appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on July 4. Queensland Police have urged anyone with information about the ongoing investigation to contact authorities. 👮 Thieves dressed as tradies costing Aussies millions in nationwide trend 🏡 Tradie's disbelief as thieves 'rip out' $300 item from under Aussie home 💰 Woman's surprise passenger on Aussie road prompts $376 fine The latest incident comes just weeks after Dave Dudley, who runs Tidy Up Townsville, stumbled across a burnt-out patch of grass and sand at what he claims was a 'copper cooking' site on the side of a road. The well-known method involves pouring petrol onto copper to burn and strip off any unwanted materials from the metal, such as plastic or insulation, before it is sold. Many parts of the country have been grappling with copper theft in recent years, with people stealing it from homes and building sites and selling it to scrap metal dealers who melt and reshape it for reuse. However, the 'lucrative and attractive venture for thieves' is particularly prevalent in Queensland. In 2023 alone, the illegal act cost the state $4.5 million in damages to the electrical network, with culprits even reportedly dressing as tradies to avoid detection while they make away with live wires. "We've had instances where copper thieves have taken up to 1,000 metres of cable in one night. That's a significant amount of damage to the network,' Chris Graham, an Energex area manager, previously told Yahoo. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the federal government has estimated the annual cost of metal theft is valued at well over $100 million. Depending on the type and quality, copper can fetch as much as $10 per kilogram. It's been estimated that 90 per cent of all copper theft takes place at night or on weekends. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
CBC
27-05-2025
- CBC
Copper wire thefts leaving rural N.S. residents without phone, internet service
Some residents in the rural Nova Scotia communities of Joggins and Lower Cove spent the past weekend without landline and internet services after copper lines belonging to Bell Canada were cut and stolen. Locals say there have been at least five similar thefts of copper wire in the last year. Laurie Glenn Norris said her 93-year-old dad lives in Lower Cove and has lost access to his landline phone — sometimes for days at a time. "I am very concerned about him and other senior citizens in the area who … can't call 911 if the line is down or call for help to a neighbour if something happens," said Norris, who lives in River Hebert, N.S. Norris said the copper lines tend to be cut during weekends and it takes several days for Bell technicians to repair them. Residents angry, says councillor Carrie Lee, the Cumberland County councillor for the district, said she has heard from residents frustrated with the continued copper thefts that is stripping the area of an outside connection. "Morale is really down. People are scared, they're angry, they're frustrated. And I mean, I think people need to realize it's not the same as other areas. When they lose access to that, they lose access to everything that connects them to the outside," said Lee. Lee said residents have recommended Bell Canada install trail cameras on their poles to capture and potentially deter thieves. In P.E.I., Maritime Electric said last month it is working with Charlottetown Police Services to install surveillance cameras at electrical substations to hopefully curb copper wire thefts. Lee said she's unsure if that's the answer in Cumberland County, but no other solutions have been offered from Bell or the RCMP. "I don't know if they're necessary or what the solution is, but there doesn't seem to be any talks of one," said Lee. Bell apologizes to customers In a statement Monday, Bell told CBC News that it expected to have the repairs completed by end of day. It noted that copper theft is on the rise. "Our teams have been working as quickly as possible to repair the damage," said the statement. "We apologize for the inconvenience." Allie Duguay, a nursing student who lives in Joggins, doesn't use a landline, but she depends on the internet to supplement the poor cellphone service in the area. "It's the internet portion of it that's a big factor for me," she said. "Typically I rely on my Wi-Fi for calling in any event that someone needs to contact me." 'A very vulnerable spot' She said the recurring loss of internet service has interfered with her online nursing program. Duguay said she missed an exam and has had to drive to find good cellphone service to do online schoolwork in her vehicle using her mobile hotspot. She is calling on Bell Canada to do more to secure their lines to prevent this from happening again. As of Monday afternoon, she and other residents of Joggins and Lower Cove were still waiting for Bell technicians to conduct repairs, leaving residents "in a very vulnerable spot," she said. "It's only a matter of time until something happens and somebody's life is put on the line because of this," said Duguay.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged copper thieves nabbed by San Jose police
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A man and a woman were arrested in San Jose over the weekend after police caught the two allegedly cutting down phone lines for copper. San Jose Police Department officers on patrol in the area of Meadowlands Lane and San Felipe Road near Silver Creek Valley Country Club came across the man during "an active copper theft in progress" on Saturday, according to a department statement. The SJPD said the man fled the scene after he was allegedly found cutting down overhead phone lines and slicing them into pieces before placing them in plastic bags on the side of the road. Police eventually found the man hiding in some bushes in the area and took him into custody. Officers also found heavy-duty wire cutters and more empty bags in the man's possession, according to a department statement. Police also found a woman waiting in a suspect vehicle "ready to haul away the stolen copper" down the road from where they found the man. The man and the woman were arrested on suspicion of several crimes, including grand theft, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools. The woman was also found to be in possession of what was suspected to be methamphetamine, San Jose police said. The Source San Jose Police Department
