Copper theft rising in Canada alongside global commodity prices

VANCOUVER - Monitoring the price of copper is not usually considered routine police work.

But with copper now trading at record highs, police across Canada say tracking the commodity is one way to help crack down on metal thieves aiming to cash in on rising prices.

''From a law enforcement perspective, what makes it so interesting is that it is the only time we see a direct link between street level crime as a direct result to what's happening on the London and New York Stock Exchanges,'' said Det. Const. Andria Cowan, the Toronto Police Service's dedicated ''copper cop.''

Each time the price of copper hits a new record, as it did recently surpassing $4US a pound, Cowan said she notices a spike in theft.

She began seeing a ''dramatic increase'' in the crime about two years ago, which is about the time copper prices started to surge.

The price of copper has quadrupled since the summer of 2005, when it traded at about $1US a pound.