Chch community 'frustrated' by spate of copper thefts from powerlines

Copper thieves have once again struck Christchurch's powerlines overnight, the latest in a spate of dangerous thefts over the last two weeks concerning police.

Thieves in the Christchurch suburb of Waltham cut the cables in the night and left live wires exposed, including an incident outside a preschool on Phillip St.

Senior Sergeant Roy Appley said anyone walking past could have electrocuted themselves, and warned the crime could leave someone seriously injured.

He said the highly conductive copper is perfect for powerlines, and valuable in larger quantities.

"Copper [is] currently being sold for around about $12 per kilogram, but having said that you need quite a lot of wire to get a kilogram," Appley said.

Police said the high-risk thefts were likely being done by a small group of offenders using bamboo poles taped together to stop themselves being shocked.

"My assessment would be that they're suffering from some kind of addiction. Whether that's drugs or alcohol, and simply the wire is worth cash," Appley said.

Steve McDonald from lines company Orion said the community were impacted "three times in the last two weeks" by power outages due to cut wires, which has put strain on local businesses.

"That means they have staff turning up at 8am, they can't produce what they're designed to produce.

"Their staff are frustrated; their buildings are cold. I think this morning it was single digits in temperature, so they can't heat their buildings and potentially having to send staff home," McDonald said.

Business owner Clive Coffey said the power outages are a "big inconvenience" for his upholstery repair and restoration company, Fibrenew.

"It restricts what we can do really. We need power, to run the phones to start off. We use tools that require power, and lighting and all the rest of it," he said.

"For the power to be out, that's basically wipes out two days. I employ staff, or a couple of staff. So it's a big inconvenience."

Appley said over the past year police have arrested four people in relation to the thefts, who are now before the courts.

He said these charges are "very serious" and carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

Police urged any member of the public with information to come forward.

"Our message to offenders is to stop this behaviour before someone, including yourself, gets hurt," he said.

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