Police vexed by copper thefts

As of Wednesday, June 20, 2012

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT - Grand Bahama police chief Emrick Seymour said the spike in copper theft over the past two weeks is a "vexing problem" and urged businesses to take precautions.

Mr Seymour said it is important for businesspersons to secure their premises from thieves and in an effort to minimise property loss.

"Security is an expensive venture, but it is something businesses should consider," he said. "What we have seen is that the lack of security may have contributed to the thefts; notwithstanding that no one has the right to infringe on anyone else's property."

There is believed to be a direct link between the rise of copper thefts and the removal of the ban on scrap metal exports imposed by the former FNM government.

Thieves are targeting major corporations and businesses here on the island. In recent weeks, several BTC sites were stripped of copper wires, disrupting essential telecommunication services.

The culprits gained access to the property by cutting the fence.

In February, the Grand Bahama Shipyard was also targeted when three fairwater cone propellers were stolen from its facility.

The company offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the cones, which were made of brass and bronze, and weighed more than 1,000 pounds each.

The cones have not yet been recovered and shipyard officials believe they were stolen for their scrap metal value. The company has since beefed up security.

ACP Seymour said: "It is disturbing because it is disrupting the services provided by businesses. It's vexing and there is no excuse for it - you cannot use 'I am not working' as an excuse. We are asking these culprits to cease and desist; we are asking them to stop what they are doing."

Mr Seymour said police are helping BTC beef up security in an effort to minimise copper thefts at its sites.

Officers are also working along with Customs officials to ensure that a system is in place to govern the exportation of scrap metal.

mynameis 11 years, 10 months ago

Somene is buying the so-called scrap metal...find the purchaser and trace back to the seller and you will find your thief.

ApoliTical 11 years, 10 months ago

We don't have copper mines so ban the export completely with only special provisions through a government clearing house. Anyone found operating beyond that minimum sentence 5yrs in HMP. We could do it to pot heads and gun tooting fools we could do it to business owners who disregard the law.

JohnBrown 11 years, 10 months ago

Good point about imposing a copper ban, but considering how it would cut into the larvish lifestyles of those rich and famous Bahamian profitiers, I don't believe they would employ such an easy mechanism. This is a workable solution, for sure!

Case in point:

In fact, if the United States really wanted to end the drug trade tomorrow all they would have to do is simply change its currency slightly and then demand immediate accountability for every cent in each bank's bank account from every account owner. This means that before one was allowed to convert their funds deposited within any US bank into the new currency, that individual would have to be able to justify a legal method that they employed to obtain such funds. If not possible then that person would go directly to jail and the funds would become the property of the US government. So all this war on drugs espousal is just rhetoric, used to advertise their diverse marketable drug products.

concernedcitizen 11 years, 10 months ago

and during this convesing period the whole U/S economy would shut down ??why don,t we just go back to salt for money ,becuase then the drug dealers would have salt wharehouses, just like they would find a way to convert to the new currency even if it cost them 50 cents on the dollar then we would have a drug un derground and a currency underground ,,legalize marijauana and give hard core opiate addicts a dailey dose ,,it would be alot cheaper than the war on drugs and crimew would drop but lawyers wouldn,t make as much ,,who r the politician ,,,,,,lawyers

positiveinput 11 years, 10 months ago

From the previous government an easy solution was given. Allocate a specific portion of government property and make it law that any scrap metal agent must operate from off that premises. The government have given these scrap metal agents too long to get their act together in assisting these thieves, so now is the time to step in. Using the government property, any scrap metal to be cashed in must be inspected by a government official. The government officals then value the material and then it would be up to a scrap metal agent to purchase the quantity of metal on site. The agents then secure their purchases in on site trailers/containers which when full are locked and an authorised seal placed accross its opening. By doing this the government has now created new jobs and a new source of revenue. When transported to the shipyards, the containers are inspected again to assure the seal was not tampered with for the purpose of adding or exchanging stolen goods to the shipment. If Freeport scrap metal agents are anything like Nassau's they are located all about in the bush (eg. pass Bacardi Road opposite where Cowpen Road comes out to Carmicheal Road. Who is to regulate what they are shipping out of the country?

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