Windsor police are warning of a growing trend in copper wire thefts after thieves caused thousands of dollars in damage along Ottawa Street last month. Police continue to search for two suspects accused of stealing wiring from five streetlight electrical boxes in the 1900 block of Ottawa Street on Aug. 20. The damage is estimated at $6,000. Speaking on AM800’s Mornings with Mike and Meg, police chief Jason Crowley says the Ottawa Street incident is part of a larger increase in copper thefts across the city, impacting both public infrastructure and local businesses. “Since 2023, we’ve more than doubled our incidents,” Crowley said. “This year so far, we’re at 196 incidents of copper wire theft. We’re definitely seeing that uptick and it’s not a good trend.” Police are working with the city and salvage yards to try to reduce opportunities for thieves to profit from stolen metal. Crowley says stronger identification requirements for people selling scrap metal could help. He also notes the thefts can put both suspects and the public at risk because offenders are often tampering with electrical infrastructure. “We’re talking about in some cases, very high voltage electricity, and people are taking their lives and the safety of others for granted here when they’re stealing copper, which is very little return at the end of the day for them,” Crowley said. He says investigators are actively pursuing suspects tied to these cases. “So far this year we’ve had 10 arrests, and we have five arrest warrants issued. So we have identified some people and we are looking for some others,” said Crowley. Anyone with information related to theft of copper is asked to contact Windsor police or Crime Stoppers.
