City of Nanaimo light posts are the new target for thieves, particularly in the Bowen Rd. and Wall St. area, near downtown. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

UPTICK

Copper wire thieves targeting City lights after exhausting other Nanaimo options

Oct 7, 2022 | 9:45 AM

NANAIMO — A rise in copper wire thefts from street lights is being noticed by local Mounties.

Nanaimo RCMP report a handful of the thefts in recent weeks, involving light standards broken into and copper wiring inside removed.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW the work from thieves knocks the light out of service anywhere between four to six hours.

“It appears they’re concentrating their efforts on the area from Wall St. along Bowen Rd. We’ve had two or three since September and they cost thousands of dollars to repair.”

Each individual repair job costs the City of Nanaimo around $4,000. Police said roughly four kilometres of wiring has been stolen over the recent run of thefts around Nanaimo.

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With each hit of a light standard though, thieves limit their options.

O’Brien said after running through the Ministry of Transportation lights on highways last year, the City of Nanaimo is also clamping down.

“Every time there’s a copper wire theft, it is replaced with aluminum wiring but sometimes it doesn’t stop the thieves from still going in, wrecking the box to determine there’s no value to it.”

Police are also using stores which buy copper as a way to track thieves. Laws are in place to ensure those selling the materials must have identification, which can help officers link a person to a particular theft.

If anyone has any information about the recent rash of crimes in the area of Bowen Park, related to the theft of copper wire, they’re asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345, quoting file number 2022-35084.

RCMP have seen an increase in the number of copper wire thefts from Nanaimo light stands in recent weeks. (submitted photos)

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