SBA Police Issues Anti-Theft Warning Following Crime Surge

Police officials confirmed that 42 cases were reported between April and August this year, with copper being one of the main targets.

Dhekelia CID Inspector, Fanos Christodoulou, revealed copper was now valued at approximately €6,500 per tonne, so it has become a target to be sold on to scrap metal yards.

He said: “We are seeing the increase in theft of copper wires, tools and any other machinery that contains the material, so people need to be vigilant and secure their property.”

One of the most vulnerable groups is farm owners, who keep large amounts of tools and machinery in agricultural areas, where thieves can move in the dark, undetected. 

“Farmland appears to be an easy target for thieves as they can move at night and the majority of the time, people don’t tend to lock up their equipment in these areas,” Inspector Christodoulou said.

“This needs to change and we advise everyone to make their items less accessible to steal. Taking measures like locking up your tools in a secure box, or installing CCTV, will make you less vulnerable.

“Taking these measures will obviously come at a financial cost but in these situations, a short-term outlay will save you money in the long run, so it is a good investment.”

The SBA Police undertakes regular patrols but due to the vast amount of rural land within the Dhekelia area. Inspector Christodoulou revealed the relationship between the force and the local community remains key.

He continued: “We rely heavily on our good contacts within the villages in the Eastern SBAs to tackle this problem. We cannot be everywhere, all at once, so we need help in catching thieves.

“If people see any suspicious activity, we urge them to report it to the police and we can take action.”

Inspector Christodoulou continued: “Thieves will target any items they can and we have seen the theft of solar panels, car batteries, boilers and generators as they all have a value.

“If it can be stolen, it is a target, so we must all work together to keep the areas we live and work in safe for one another.”

Source: In-Cyprus