An increase in copper cable theft in Victoria is putting affected people at risk, Crime Stoppers has warned.
Copper cabling has a wide range of uses including powering homes, streetlights, and traffic signals.
It reached a record-high market price of $14/kg in March.
The combination of its surging value and ubiquity has triggered a rise in cable theft across the state.
"Thieves will go into a pit in the ground, or anywhere that the copper forms part of the infrastructure, and strip out hundreds of metres of it," Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith said.
"They'll then cash it in for $5 to $8 per kilo at unscrupulous scrap metal yards or online."
While illegally trading in copper cable can be a quick way for offenders to make cash, the consequences can range from inconvenience to death.
Ms Smith said exposed wires left behind by copper thieves put the thieves themselves and innocent people at risk of electrocution.
"It comes at a significant cost to the community as well when infrastructure is damaged."
Ballarat among copper cable theft hotspots
Powercor Australia group manager Michael Hayes said the company had recently suffered "plenty of copper theft incidents occurring out through Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, and into Ballarat".
The company is the largest electricity distributor in Victoria, servicing more than one million households.
He said Powercor had been forced to ramp up security measures at its public lighting sites across the region, including Blind Creek Road and Ballarat Link Road.
"We're doing a lot of strategic activities … but we really do need members of the public to help because, like many crimes in the community, we need as much information as we can get on who is responsible," he said.
Community urged to report copper theft
Crime Stoppers Victoria has partnered with Powercor to launch a new community awareness campaign aimed at reducing copper cable theft.
People are being urged to recognise signs of copper theft, which include exposed wires, displaced pit lids and people selling copper on buy-and-sell websites without being a registered second-hand dealer.
Ms Smith said knowing what authority to contact, depending on the situation, was also important.
Anyone witnessing copper theft should contact police on triple-0, while suspicions of copper cable theft or past incidents should be reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or on its website.
In the case of exposed wiring, contact a power distributor.
