Duncan United Church has been targeted by thieves two nights in a row.
Office administrator Linda Evans said that during the night of Oct. 7, thieves took all the electrical conduit that led to the sump pump at the church off the external staircase and stripped it down to the copper wire.
They returned the following night and took the rest of the conduit to the sump pump on the outside of the church and stripped it down to the copper as well.
Evans said the thieves didn’t immediately go elsewhere to strip the wire where they couldn’t be seen, as might be expected, but were brash enough to strip it while sitting on the front steps of the church, located on the intersection of Jubilee Street and Ingram Streets, which is typically busy with pedestrian and vehicle traffic, even at night at times.
The stripped conduit was strewn all over the steps, and a tool, which might be a wire-stripping device, was found in the bushes next to the steps.
“We had security cameras monitoring the outside of the church, but they were stolen, twice, about two years ago,” Evans said.
“We do have a security company that checks the church at night, but they only come about once a night. We do have some [unhoused] people that sometimes spend the night on the property, but we don’t believe they are responsible. We have no idea who is doing this.”
Evans said, ideally, a security camera could be placed on the tall building next door where thieves can’t steal it to monitor the outside of the church 24/7, but it’s too late to help catch the perpetrators of the copper theft.
She said she doesn’t know how much it will be to replace the wiring, and an electrician has been called.
“We’ve had other instances of vandalism at the church over the years, like spray painting on the building, but this is the first time our wiring has been stolen. I suppose these people want to sell the copper to buy drugs. It’s sad because the church offers meals and does so much for people. It’s becoming an increasingly sad world out there.”
Evans said the RCMP were contacted and have begun an investigation.
