The cost of metal theft in the critical infrastructure industry can be astronomical, but not just on a monetary level. Although monetary losses due to metal theft may vary in range of severity, there are a multitude of other effects and damages that may branch off in the event copper wire is removed from a location.
The effects of metal theft can easily influence the logistics of day-to-day life in ways that may not immediately come to mind. When copper wire thieves in Toronto, Ontario severed Go Transit train signaling cables it resulted in over 45,000 commuters stranded. Not only were these commuters late for work, which could have had a negative impact on business performance, but it also resulted in expensive transit bills for the commuters living outside of Toronto. The negative implications from metal theft are not exclusive to ground traffic either. Copper wire theft in Stephenville Airport, Newfoundland disabled the runway lights and approach system on Runway 27, leading to a repair bill of approximately $150,000. Thankfully, repairs were completed prior to any attempted flight landings, and all passengers made it to their destination safely.
