Parliament must enact tougher laws to shield the nation’s telecom networks from copper thieves, say business groups. Boards of trade in three cities petitioned the Senate transport and communications committee to rewrite the Criminal Code.

“Copper theft is a growing problem across the country with thieves targeting critical infrastructure for short term monetary gain,” wrote the Surrey, B.C. Board of Trade. “This crime is not only disrupting essential telecommunications services leading to outages that affect homes and businesses, but it is also endangering public safety.”

Telecom companies warn of a rise in vandalism nationwide involving theft of copper for sale to scrap metal dealers at rates of about $5 a pound. The Surrey Board recommended the Senate adopt “stricter regulation of the sale of scrap metal including mandatory documentation of sellers and buyers as well as real-time reporting to deter the sale of stolen copper.”