Kempsey police chief, Inspector Peter Neville, is urging anyone with information about the theft of metals to contact the police station.
Inspector Neville said Kempsey Shire Council has been the target of thefts of copper.
Copper theft was the focus of a statewide campaign launched before Christmas.
Both the NSW Minister for Police David Campbell and Energy Minister Ian Macdonald have called on public support from the Macleay Valley to stop the trade of stolen copper, which they said is turning scrapyard dealers into unwitting criminals.
Both ministers got beh-ind a public campaign together with Crime Stopp-ers NSW, the NSW police force and the NSW Utilities Copper Theft Security Committee to stop people stealing the metal from public utilities in Kempsey and surrounding areas.
Both the ministers said such activity is illegal and dangerous. A number of thefts have taken place in Kempsey in 2007.
Inspector Neville told The Macleay Argus that a current investigation by Kempsey police is looking at the theft of a large amount of copper from the Kempsey saleyards.
He said local police are in regular contact with police in other areas to trace scrap metal that is stolen from Kempsey and sold in other country New South Wales towns.
The problem is not restricted to Kempsey.
Mr Campbell said there is a copper theft reported from public infrastructures in NSW every week.
“Thieves are getting bolder in the way they are acquiring this precious resource by stealing the copper from electricity substations, railway lines and homes,” the police minister said. “This escalating trade is also turning scrapyard dealers into unwitting criminals.”
The energy minister said thieves are not only putting their own lives in danger but that of the Kempsey community as well.
Copper is currently selling for A$7,405 per tonne, 6 per cent higher than the same period last year, and more than $100,000 worth of stolen copper is being traded in NSW each month.
“The global increase in copper prices is fuelled by the Chinese construction boom, where its consumption has increased by 38 per cent during the first nine months of this year.”
Peter Price, Chairman of Crime Stoppers Australia, said that copper theft has a dramatic impact on the community, with Kempsey also vulnerable .
“Electricity is interrupted, phone lines are cut off, trains may be cancelled and lives are put in danger - the public should not have to cop the cost of this crime,” Mr Price said.
“Copper thieves and the scrap metal dealers who are accepting stolen goods, knowingly or not, need to understand that the NSW Police Force will be targeting copper criminals.”
Copper can now be traced by police using permanent DNA tracing technology.
“I’d like to call on scrapmetal dealers in Kempsey to work with the police in cracking down on this unfortunate trend,” Mr Campbell said.
“There are a number of procedures that can be implemented including installing more surveillance cameras; holding copper for a period of time before using it; and reducing cash sales in order to deter would-be criminals.”
Scrapmetal businesses this week received a ‘Don’t Cop It’ kit, which includes a log book in which scrapmetal dealers can record copper transactions and resources to help prevent the trade of stolen copper.
Crime Stoppers is urging anyone with information about copper theft in their area to report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.