VANCOUVER – The price of copper and other metals may be on the decline right now, but metal theft is still a very lucrative industry, and a local business in Port Coquitlam is literally under siege.
Thieves have been breaking into Coupal Climbing Cranes’ work yard so often that the family has been spending more time dealing with security issues than day- to-day operations.
Despite massive barb wire topped fences, industrial lighting, and guard dogs, Coupal has been hit six times since June by metal thieves.
“This has personally cost me tens of thousands of dollars in labour and material, and I am currently spending tens of thousands of dollars to increase our security,” says Remi Coupal.
Coupal Climbing Cranes is trenching its Port Coquitlam yard, installing a state-of-the-art video monitoring system and more high-intensity lighting — all to combat the theft of wire from its multi-million dollar fleet of construction cranes.
“This is not isolated. My immediate neighbour has had the same problem,” says Coupal. “I’ve talked to other people who have had identical problems, and it seems there is no solution for this.”
For every crane that has its copper wiring stripped, his business is looking at between $5,000 and $8,000 in repairs, not including labour.
For years now, Telus has been fighting the theft of copper lines leaving hundreds without emergency phone service. Even street lamps have been savaged for copper, and some thieves attack hydro vaults, occasionally getting electrocuted, but often getting away.
Bike riding adults often drop off metal at Tri-City Recycling, a block away from Coupal, and they get paid in cash.
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Coupal says the crime is almost untraceable and very difficult to prove.
“We would like to see business licenses removed from these junk dealers. That would be a step in the right direction.”
Remi says scrap buyers should also be required to get identification from everyone they buy from.
So far, he says he lost more than $40,000 in damage and stolen property, and has been hit twice just this past weekend.
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