Attorney General
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Nov. 4, 2011
This week, you've likely heard about our proposed legislation to deter and identify metal thieves. What you may not know about is the range of ways that metal theft threatens British Columbians with alarming frequency.
I would like to share with you some stories my ministry's staff and I have heard in the course of developing our proposed law.
In B.C., metal theft has already claimed three lives in recent years - individuals who were electrocuted in the course of trying to take copper wire that was live. Another thief was lucky to survive when a live wire blew a hole in his chest.
But metal thefts can also present serious risks to law-abiding citizens far from the scene of the crime. This is particularly true for seniors and people with disabilities.
Today, many of us take our cellphones for granted - particularly in an emergency, when three clicks can put us directly in touch with a 911 dispatcher. For many people with mobility issues or serious health concerns, though, a traditional telephone line remains literally a lifeline, and a vital support to their ability to live independently.
One Langley senior recently spoke out about how the button she carries around at all times gives her and her family peace of mind: if she falls, one push of the button dials and delivers emergency assistance to her home. There are thousands of British Columbians like her. What compounds the threat to their safety is that it can take much longer to replace stolen telephone wire than to repair a line that's intact.
While copper wire infrastructure is critical, it is by no means the only target of metal thieves. That's why, if our legislation passes, we will develop a system that regulates a variety of valuable metals and specific metal objects.
Obvious targets - for regulation, as well as thieves - include manhole covers and sewer grates. Police leaders have told us of incidents where these items have disappeared along kilometres of roadway, posing the risk of serious injury for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike.
Metal thieves don't just threaten us physically, however. I know of one Fraser Valley family that was looking forward to moving into their new home, only to discover on moving day that thieves had raided it of copper plumbing.
It could have been worse. At least one family has returned home to find their home flooded by thieves who didn't even turn off the water supply before stripping the plumbing. Home renovators and builders have seen holes punched in freshly painted drywall to access wires and copper piping beneath. Another family entered their home after a break-in to find live wire hanging overhead.
Still, the Fraser Valley family faced paying an insurance deductible that was likely well in excess of the scrap value of what was taken. And, even after installing an alarm system, they began life in their new home feeling less secure.
The emotional harm inflicted by metal thieves goes even deeper. Imagine going to visit the resting place of your deceased parent, brother, sister or another loved one and finding it rendered anonymous by the theft of a metal grave marker. I know of families on southern Vancouver Island who have been victimized in this despicable manner. Their experiences, too, will be considered as we work toward bringing our new law into force.
We know that similar, municipal bylaws - requiring scrap-metal dealers to record important customer and transaction details, and to share them with police - have been successful at the local level. We also recognize the need to be fair to the many recyclers and scrap-metal dealers who are already doing their part, recording transactions on paper and video, and turning away those who appear to possess stolen goods.
But someone's still buying; in fact, the problem is growing. Telus has told us they're seeing an average of one metal theft report a day this year - double last year's incidence. That's why, building on local government efforts and our broader consultations, we're proposing a provincewide approach that can be summed up simply: No I.D. means no sale! If passed, Bill 13 will see scrap-metal recyclers record transaction details and share them daily with police.
While our legislative framework is complete, the fine details - for example, of types of metals and items to be regulated, and of the penalties for non-compliance - remain to be finalized. In the coming weeks, I and the staff in my ministry look forward to working further with the many individuals, utilities, police agencies and recycling industry representatives who've helped shape our proposed solution to date.
Together, I believe we can reduce the likelihood of tragedy striking as a result of metal theft.
Contact:
Media Relations
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961
