$10,000 in copper piping stolen from Stratford school building site

P.E.I. RCMP say $10,000 worth of copper piping was stolen from the construction site of the new high school in Stratford this week.

Police say the theft was reported to them Thursday and the piping was taken sometime between Monday and Wednesday. Now they are looking for who took it and where it went.

"Oftentime we find this copper ends up at recycler's businesses where people are trying to offload the stolen copper," RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore told CBC News.

The culprits broke into the school and ripped out the pipping, said Moore, and the value of the copper is what makes it attractive.

Thefts on the rise

Copper theft has become more common in recent years due to high pricing at cash-in points, where it is completely legal to sell copper coming out of a building for renovation, demolition or other reasons. 

"The copper is one of those commodities… it's everywhere. It's in buildings all over the place," Moore said.

Last year, the Canadian Telecommunications Association called for a crackdown after vandalism related to theft doubled annually from 2021 to 2023. 

Back in August, theft of copper at a Maritime Electric substation led to power outages along P.E.I.'s North Shore.

Moore said it can be challenging to track down copper once it is taken, but police still have some investigative techniques they can use.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Stratford RCMP detachment or reach out anonymously by calling the P.E.I. Crime Stoppers tip line.