Police say thousands of pounds of stolen copper wire found on a residence near Delacour represents a growing theft trend in the Calgary area.
The stolen material discovered Wednesday was valued at $7,500 and taken from a substation near Balzac.
“What we see is as the price rises so does the instance of theft,” said Const. Alex Girvin.
Donald Patrick Macaulay faces 38 charges and Lisa Marlene Martin faces 20 charges in relation to the theft ring. Kieran Goldsmith was also charged on 10 outstanding warrants.
Airdrie RCMP Const. Robert Frizzell said copper theft has been a constant problem in rural areas around Calgary, as thieves prey on industrial sites. He said the practice of burning or cutting copper from rubber tubing poses a risk to both thieves and industrial workers.
“If people come to that site assuming that everything’s grounded and assuming that everything’s in working order, there’s definitely some concern for public safety,” he said.
Police also seized numerous other items from the property located on Township Road 254, including a dune buggy, ski boat, numerous weapons and small quantities of marijuana.
