Copper wire thefts make $ 2.8- million dent in Surrey’s budget

Copper wire theft — an occurrence that escalates when copper prices increase — is taking a big bite out of Surrey coffers.

That city spent $ 2.8 million last year to replace wire in street lights and repair damage resulting from theft, more than double what it spent the year before. In 2009, when the price of copper was 40 per cent less than the 2011 average of $ 3.85 per pound, replacement and repairs cost Surrey only $ 146,000.

The price of copper remains high, trading at $ 3.80 per pound Wednesday.

The escalating cost of copper theft is prompting concern from Surrey city officials. “It’s preposterous how much this is costing us,” said Coun. Barinder Rasode, adding she hopes new provincial legislation, expected to be implemented this spring, will help curb theft.

A Surrey bylaw introduced in 2008 to regulate scrap metal dealers doesn’t appear to have put a dent in the problem, she said. The bylaw requires scrap dealers to record the identification of sellers of items such as copper wire, but thieves can still sell the wire in jurisdictions without similar regulations.

The new B. C. legislation will fill in gaps where municipalities do not have bylaws.

The provincial legislation also mandates stiffer fines and introduces jail sentences of up to six months for scrap metal purchasers who buy stolen wire.

About a dozen communities in B. C., including Vancouver, Richmond, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Chilliwack, have scrap metal bylaws.

Outside the Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Prince George also have bylaws.

While Surrey is struggling with the problem, other cities in the Lower Mainland report declines in copper wire theft.

In Burnaby, costs associated with the crime are estimated at $ 140,000 for 2011, down from between $ 200,000 and $ 250,000 in previous years. Estimates from Port Coquitlam put costs at $ 25,000, also down from past years. City of Vancouver officials said copper wire theft is not a problem because its cables are buried deep in the ground.