Sir: I find it despicable, not just criminal, to the lengths that thieves are going to in stealing copper from everywhere around our municipality as well as other areas. One only has to turn on the local television news or open up the newspaper to see, hear, or read about thefts that seem to be happening almost daily.
As I was helping out in putting up our church’s nativity scene recently, I was aghast at the damage that a recent attempt of stealing copper from our church had caused. A plaque, which tells viewers that our church is an Ontario Heritage Sight, appeared to have literally been yanked out of the wall of the church, possibly with some sort of crowbar.
I would guess the thieves thought that it had copper in the plaque and was available for possible sale to the local scrap yards. This was just one of a number of thefts at our church in the past year, as the trouble makers have stolen drain pipes and even metal protecting lightning rods from our church.
It is time the courts or people who pass the laws in this area crack down not just on the copper thieves, but on those who accept stolen copper for cash as scrap metal. How and when this should be done I am sure can be worked out among those whom set up our laws for those of us who live in our country, be it federal, provincial or local.
Frank Doyle
Chatham
