Given that Metro Vancouver metal thieves have stolen everything from grave markers to school playgrounds, their latest target is hardly “shocking.”
Batteries have been going missing from trucks, heavy construction equipment, traffic signs and recreational vehicles in recent months, with more than 100 reported stolen in Delta alone since the beginning of October.
“Batteries are being stolen for the lead content and the metal content in them,” Delta Police Sgt. Sarah Swallow said. “The suspects are getting between $10 and $25 per battery for any that they take into the recyclers, and it comes in cash.”
Among the many recent victims is Lions Gate Fisheries, where workers got an unwelcome surprise early Wednesday morning.
One driver called manager Ted Plevy at 4 a.m. to say his truck wouldn’t start. It turned out his wasn’t the only one.
“Every truck was missing its batteries. All the covers and nuts and bolts were laying on the ground,” Plevy said. “We lost 12 batteries in total.”
Apart from delaying the fleet for hours, the theft is expected to cost thousands of dollars in replacement batteries.
Earlier this month, Mounties also warned the public that boats, trailers and motorhomes were being targeted in driveways in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
They recommended owners remove the batteries, as well as propane tanks, and put them in a safe location when winterizing recreational vehicles.
Delta police said people can also help investigators solve the thefts by engraving them with an identifying mark.
“If we as police officers stop a vehicle and somebody has a bunch of batteries in there, it’s very hard at the moment to know where those batteries are from if there’s no identifying markers on them,” Swallow said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Maria Weisgarber
