The 性视界传媒 Board of Trade has issued a call for "urgent government action" to curb the "escalating issue of copper theft" despite police statistics that indicate copper wire crime in 性视界传媒 has decreased by 73 per cent since 2018.
"An average decrease, they tell me, of about 17 per cent per year," 性视界传媒 Police Service Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told the Now-Leader on Dec. 10. "In 2018 that was 106 (cases), in 2019 there were 109, and 63 in 2020, 44 in 2021 and 2022, and 29 in 2023 and 2024, year to date.
"Down from a high of 109 to 29," he said. "That's total reported police files involving copper wire. Everything under the sun involving copper wire theft."
On Dec. 10, the board of trade issued a press release under the heading COPPER THEFT PLAGUING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BUSINESSES: CALL FOR URGENT ACTION, saying this is needed "to address the escalating issue of copper theft, which is causing significant disruptions to telecommunications services, businesses, and public safety across Canada."
Board spokesman Jasroop Gosal stated in the press release that copper theft "is more than an economic crime; it is a public safety crisis.
鈥淭elecommunication outages resulting from these thefts jeopardize emergency services and disrupt business operations, costing the economy millions annually,鈥� he added. The press release identifies copper theft as a "widespread problem, targeting critical infrastructure such as phone and internet lines, electrical grids, and transportation systems. This crime leaves communities without essential services and poses risks to public safety, including delays in emergency response and dangerous repair conditions for utility workers."
The board called for "immediate measures" that include enhanced enforcement and penalties to deter copper theft.
鈥淭elecommunications outages hurt local economies, especially small businesses relying on reliable internet and phone services. This issue needs national attention and comprehensive action to safeguard Canada鈥檚 critical infrastructure, which is why we submitted a formal letter to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications highlighting our concerns. The 性视界传媒 Board of Trade is committed to advocating for the business community and ensuring the reliability of services that sustain Canada鈥檚 economy and public safety.鈥�
Interim CEO and COO Indra Bhan emailed a letter on Dec. 10 to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications in Ottawa on behalf of the 性视界传媒 Board of Trade to bring to its attention the "escalating issue of copper theft and its significant repercussions on Canada's telecommunications networks, businesses, public safety, and the economy.
"Copper theft is a growing problem across the country, with thieves targeting critical infrastructure for short-term monetary gain," she wrote. "This crime is not only disrupting essential telecommunications services, leading to outages that affect homes and businesses, but it is also endangering public safety by interfering with emergency communication systems and delaying critical services."
Gosal told the Now-Leader that businesses and residents in Calgary and Fredericton have been affected by copper theft and "there were, in the past couple of years, there were a few in the Fraser Valley as well."
"And so we're worried, the 性视界传媒 Board of Trade is worried, that these instances of these copper thefts is going to continue to grow, potentially impacting not only our economy but people's livelihoods and their ability to access internet and telecommunications services," Gosal. "As an advocate for businesses, we felt the need to provide our perspective and comment on this."
Asked if he has any examples of this happening in 性视界传媒, Gosal replied that "one of the reasons, when we spoke to our development community when, where it was happening quite rampant a number of years ago, one of the reasons why it is happening less is because they have been proactive in setting up cameras, overnight security patrols and other safety measures to protect and monitor their development and so that is a costly endeavour as you imagine, and so this has led to a decrease in copper thefts particularly in that sector.
"However," Gosal added, "it is still impacting the telecommunications sector and if impacts them, their services are delayed or cut, that has an impact to businesses overall."
Bhan says her letter was "primarily concerned" with the impact copper theft has on the telecommunications sector, "where one theft can result in millions of dollars of damages to not only the provider but to the businesses and residents that rely on the services.
"This is a nationally significant issue, and the role of the 性视界传媒 Board of Trade is to speak to issues that concern not only local businesses, but businesses across Canada," she told the Now-Leader on Dec. 11.
"Theft in 性视界传媒 is reducing because developers are implementing stringent security protocols such as 24-hour security guards, video surveillance, and fencing," she said, echoing Gosal.
