Copper is disappearing from yards and construction sites overnight. With theft on the rise across Alberta, reports of stolen copper have surged throughout 2024 and into 2025.
Copper theft isn't just about missing wire or damaged equipment. When thieves get away, you’re left with costly repairs, disruptions that shut down operations, and communication outages that leave families and businesses disconnected when they need it most.
It seems like no sector is immune to this growing problem. But organizations are mobilizing, and you can take action to prevent copper theft in Alberta.
Why Copper Theft is Booming in Alberta
High resale value drives much of the criminal activity. With copper prices soaring, thieves are getting a good return on scrap metal they’ve stolen.
People are facing an economic downturn and rising living costs. When people are desperate, copper theft can seem like an easy solution to immediate financial problems.
Also, once copper is stripped from its original location and sold, it becomes nearly impossible to trace. The lack of surveillance in remote rural areas means thieves often operate with little fear of being caught in the act.
What Thieves Are Targeting
Understanding what sources of copper criminals are targeting can help you better protect your property.
Electrical wiring from oilfield pumpjacks and irrigation systems
Copper grounding wires from utility poles
HVAC units and air conditioners
Farm and construction equipment
Catalytic converters from vehicles
An emerging trend has seen criminals targeting rural broadband infrastructure and even solar farms. As renewable energy installations expand across rural Alberta, they've become new targets for metal thieves.
Thieves are also stealing other metals for resale, including aluminum, brass, and steel components used in telecommunications, plumbing, and agricultural equipment. Catalytic converters are a big target for thieves as they contain precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium.
How the RCMP Are Responding
Law enforcement has stepped up efforts to combat copper theft through different tactics, including bait equipment, plainclothes investigative units, and High Altitude Surveillance Planes (HASP) to catch criminals in the act. The RCMP have also increased patrols and surveillance targeting scrap facilities and areas with ongoing thefts.
Partnerships with local utilities, municipalities, and Crime Watch groups have improved early reporting systems, while increased coordination with recyclers helps track and trace high-volume metal sales.
The Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act, which requires proper ID and traceability for sellers, has also made it more possible to legally apprehend offenders. Property crime units are making targeted arrests and building cases against repeat offenders.
Public awareness campaigns focus on knowledge sharing with communities and collaborating with Rural Crime Watch to educate the public and encourage tip submissions that help solve these crimes.
How to Stop Copper Theft: Community and Individual Action
Preventing copper theft is a community-wide approach. We need to work together to stop thieves from destroying and stealing our valuable property.
Property owners can:
- Install motion-sensor lighting and trail cameras around vulnerable areas
- Etch or paint identifiable markings on wiring and metal components
- Secure scrap metal in storage and avoid leaving copper materials visible
- Keep driveways and access routes well-lit and gated
Recyclers and municipalities can:
- Enforce strict seller ID policies and documentation requirements
- Maintain detailed records of high-value transactions
- Train staff to recognize suspicious sales activity and report concerns
The key is creating multiple layers that make copper theft more difficult, riskier, and less profitable for criminals.
If you witness suspicious activity or have information about copper theft in your area, contact the RCMP detachment through the non-emergency line at 310-RCMP (310-7267).
Protecting Alberta's Infrastructure Together
The cost of copper theft extends beyond property loss. When criminals damage electrical infrastructure, they create public safety risks that range from a single live wire to community-wide power disruptions . The economic impact ripples through local businesses, farms, and essential services.
Protecting our communities requires us to look out for each other and work together. Every business, property owner and recycler has a role to play in making copper theft too risky and unprofitable to attempt.
December 02, 2025