The Regina Police Service is asking the public for help in solving recent cases of Break, Enter and Theft involving the theft of copper wire. In addition to the property damage and theft, there’s concern for public safety in this particular incident.
On Wednesday, October 14, 2020, at about 9:26 a.m., police were dispatched to a SaskPower energy site at 160 North Albert Street*. It was reported that, sometime over the weekend, someone had broken into the compound, and then cut and removed several lengths of copper, which is fastened to fence line in order to ground the site. “Grounding” gives an electrical device a safe way to discharge excess electricity. The theft was discovered on Tuesday, October 13th. An employee noted that three locks had been cut on the west side of the compound and replaced them with new locks in order to secure the property. That night, one of the replacement locks was cut and the remaining copper grounding was stolen. According to officials from SaskPower the removal of the copper grounding has the potential to electrify the fence, posing a potential serious risk to public safety, and to the perpetrators themselves, of electrocution and possible death.
This matter is under investigation but there is a larger concern for public safety since the compound is in a heavily-populated urban area and any unauthorized entry into the site or subsequent thefts could pose a public safety risk. Anyone who has information that could assist in the police investigation is asked to contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The Regina Police Service thanks the public and the media for their assistance in this matter.
*Exact address shared at the request of SaskPower.
