SaskPower and Saskatoon Police join to tackle copper theft

SaskPower copper theft is surging at substations, causing power outages, safety risks, and environmental harm, as police and utility security increase monitoring, replace parts, and target salvage yards fueling the metal scrap trade.

There’s a growing appetite in Saskatchewan for stolen copper, and the demand is a worry for both SaskPower and provincial police forces.

“SaskPower continues to see cases of copper theft from our substations and other facilities,” said Sean McKim, Director of Enterprise Security at SaskPower. “Thieves are placing themselves and SaskPower employees at serious risk. It’s simply inexcusable and must be stopped,” said McKim, noting the problem has worsened in recent years with rising copper theft costs for cities and utilities.

“Criminals mistakenly believe that copper theft is an easy source of revenue without realizing they’re putting their lives at risk, including the electrocution risk they face,” said Sgt. Jason Pfeil of the Saskatoon Police Service General Investigations unit. “We’re pleased to work with SaskPower in tackling the issue and creating awareness.”

McKim says that SaskPower customers have faced power outages as a result of copper theft in several instances, which can endanger the general public, or turn the ground near illegal grow ops into dangerous terrain, at times of extreme heat or cold. Further, the burning of copper can create dangerous levels of heavy metals in the air that are harmful to the environment.

SaskPower is working to replace existing copper parts in its electrical equipment with alternatives, when and where possible. Increased monitoring and a stronger security presence is also underway on SaskPower sites that are at risk.

Pfeil noted that copper theft is often linked to other criminal activity, such as the drug trade, while the sector continues to achieve record-low injury rates for workers. Thieves often trade metal for cash at salvage yards, making the activity difficult to trace. Prices for copper have increased in the last several years resulting in a greater demand for the metal.

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