Incidents of copper theft are on the rise across Canada, leaving businesses reeling from the consequences. How can proactive security ensure copper assets are protected?
Copper theft continues to have major impacts on businesses and infrastructure.
Despite efforts to curb incidents, copper theft continues to be a prevailing problem across Canada, as criminals commit brazen acts that often leave both businesses and customers reeling. Copper theft is a major threat due to the high re-sale value of wire, cable, and pipes which can be found in a multitude of places including scrap bins, telephone poles, and underground wiring systems. Scrap copper is extremely sought after, leading criminals to commit brazen and often dangerous thefts to acquire to these precious materials.
These thefts can be wide-ranging and target a variety of industries – from critical infrastructure & telecommunications, construction to scrap metal recycling facilities and beyond. In addition to the illegal nature of copper theft, it can also be extremely dangerous as criminals attempt to steal live wire that can lead to serious injury or even death. In addition to the illegality and dangerous risks of copper theft, there are often far-reaching effects on the greater community, as businesses and customers are left to deal with the aftermath of copper theft.
Recent copper wire thefts have led to serious repercussions.
Recent incidents paint a picture of the threat of copper theft across Canada. In British Columbia, copper theft continues to persist despite stricter laws passed by the provincial government. There has been an 80% reduction in overall incidents, but crimes are still occurring on a regular basis, which has government officials alarmed. Incidents that have occurred include stolen copper gas lines, which is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. (1)
In January 2024, two suspects in Calgary, Alberta were charged with theft after they stole copper wire that left 2,000 customers in the province without Internet or phone service. The thieves entered manholes and stole wire from within the local telecommunications infrastructure, which also caused $276,000 in property damage. Not only did the theft of copper cables affect the business itself, the effects reverberated throughout the community, affecting thousands of customers. (2)
The threat of copper theft to the telecommunications industry cannot be understated. In July 2023, we spoke to the negative effects these crimes have on telecommunications. The numbers were staggering, with one of the larger telecom companies in Canada having reported more than 420 separate business security incidents since January 2022; 75% of which were related to copper thefts.
Since then, Telus, another major Canadian telecommunications company, has seen a 400% increase in copper thefts in the Calgary area alone in 2023. These incidents are not isolated, as the number incidents across the country has increased by 103% in the last few years. These incidents have led to widespread phone and Internet outages – 68 million minutes of customer outage time has been attributed to copper cable theft. The thefts are also becoming much larger in scale and effect, which means longer repair times to bring systems back online. This leaves customers without the ability to contact emergency services, as they don’t have access to cellular or landline service, which is a precarious position to be in (3)
With incidents on the rise, a proactive approach is the best approach to stop copper thefts before they happen.
A proactive security solution to help prevent copper theft:
Artificial Intelligence differentiates human movement from other objects
Our proprietary Artificial Intelligence platform has revolutionized how we detect and deter criminals. Our AI system is continually learning and adapting to new scenarios, and has the ability to detect individuals as they approach a property. AI has the capacity to differentiate human movement from other movement and objects on-site. When an individual enters into camera view, our Monitoring operators can quickly and effectively thwart them before they make another move.
Video Security Units create an effective security perimeter
Our Video Security Units are the catalyst of our proactive security solutions. They provide video camera coverage for a variety of properties, including telecommunications sites and recycling facilities. Each unit comes equipped with two stationary cameras to establish perimeter protection and situational awareness, while our high-resolution PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras allow our operators to zoom in to collect important details. All our units leverage our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform, which creates a security grid free of wired Internet solutions that are lacking on remote sites where copper assets can often be found.
Live Remote Video Monitoring detects and deters crime in real time
Proactive security is about proactive deterrence: preventing crimes before they happen. Our Live Remote Video Monitoring Operators detect and deter crime in real time. When they detect someone within camera view, they will issue loud, authoritative voice commands and activate bright LED strobe lights to signal that a property is protected and off limits. If criminals continue, Police will be alerted and dispatched to the scene.
Our Mobile & Solar Security Units provide full security on remote locations
Some sites are lacking in traditional Internet and power infrastructure, and our Mobile Video Security Unit is a robust and modular solution that can be setup anywhere, establishing proactive security on-site within minutes. The MSU utilizes solar power to provide a completely power-free solution for sites that require it.
syncroReports is a full site security reporting platform
All site security information and live video feeds are available at the click of a button or the tap of a finger through our proprietary reporting platform, syncroReports. Never lose touch with your site’s security by staying in the loop on both web and mobile: this is a robust and user friendly reporting platform that is available when & where you need it.
Through proactive security, oil and gas facilities can deter criminals before they act, protect from the threat of trespassing, theft, and tampering, and ensure the supply chain stays operational.
Resources:
- “Copper Theft in British Columbia: A Persistent Threat Despite Stricter Laws”, Sakchi Khandelwal, BNN Breaking, December 30, 2023
- “Two charged after copper theft knocks out internet, phone for thousands”, The Canadian Press, Calgary Herald, January 22, 2024
- “Telus battles 400% increase in copper wire thefts in Calgary, as thousands left without phone service”, Karina Zapata, CBC News, December 18, 2023