Pilot scheme involving police, metal recyclers aims to identify, deter copper thieves
Little is safe from thieves who put themselves at risk and cause huge damage stealing copper and other metals.
A new pilot scheme involving police and metal recyclers in Christchurch aims to combat the surge in copper thefts. Last year saw a 50 percent increase in burglaries involving copper and other recyclable metals, with over $1 million worth of metal disappearing over a six-month period. Police and recyclers are working together to disrupt the thefts and deter criminals.
Canterbury police recently recovered nearly $200,000 worth of copper cable from a man arrested in a Lincoln commercial property. A man died after electrocution while attempting to steal copper from a transformer in Christchurch's Red Zone. In July, two men were interrupted while cutting into live gas pipes at Canterbury School, causing damage estimated at up to $20,000.
Metal recyclers, such as Wellington-based Macaulay, have seen an increase in thefts, with some officers blaming drug use for the heightened activity. The new scheme allows recyclers to share purchase information with police, enabling the use of AI to identify suspicious patterns and target offenders. Detective Sergeant Michael Hawke of Canterbury Criminal Investigation Branch launched Operation Scrap earlier this year, focusing on monitoring transactions and identifying persons of interest.
Police and recyclers hope the collaboration will help curb copper thefts and protect the industry's reputation.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
