Copper wire thieves steal more than copper

 Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

It happened again!! For a second time, I became a crime victim and I am all at once furious and concerned. 

On the morning of February 16th at around 11:00a.m., after my physiotherapy session, I bid the therapist good-bye and then went to use the phone. It was out.  Dead! I went on  Facebook to ask a neighbour if her phone was out; alas, she no longer has a landline but confirmed with another neighbour that her phone along with the phones of a few others was out; they are folks, like me, who are home during the day.                                                                  

Since I don’t drive, my home alone status is impacted by any number of events that would require me to be able to leave quickly and easily. I’m glad that I have a network of neighbours who have, over the years, made themselves available to me should I require any sort of assistance given my mobility challenges.  They ensure that my quality of life is made stable so that I may continue to live independently and safely on my own. In a pinch, I’d not have a problem morphing into a fleece robe, flannel PJ wearing mobility scooter speed demon, to make my way next door so long as I wasn’t up to my bum in snow. Thankfully, today, the driveway is clear. 

My usual but never taken for granted connection to the outside world, my phone, has been severed! Copper thieves were at it again. This is the second such incident within a month. A month!!!

On 18 January, copper thieves struck, impacting the lives of me and many others on my road.  What these persons fail to realize is that they’re stealing more than copper wire. They’re stealing security and peace of mind.

Vandalism compromised the quality of my life and my safety when a person or persons unknown cut a swath of telephone cable that disconnected me and hundred of other homeowners from landline telephone service in the Williamsburg-Napadogan area. From just after 9a.m. to just after 6pm, we rural dwellers were without service. A technician from Bell Aliant came to my home later in the day  after I had called about the outage to inform me of what had happened and that cable crew and police were on scene.  And so I waited. Thankfully,  my mobility scooter was charged. I chose not to lay a fire ‘just in case’. As person with multiple disabilities, living home alone, I have to pick my battles. Safety first and add another layer.                                                 

The crime of stealing copper wire and selling it to recyclers is one crime. Manifold crimes fell on top of that when hundreds of lives were put at risk by that one act of disconnecting people from services they need and use on a daily basis. Not all rural dwellers have access to cell phone service and not all cell phone services function with a high degree of stability in some rural settings. That’s the nature of aging technology in rural areas trying to pair with modern communication trends. As well, that act of vandalism elevated the stress level of those who rely on services like Lifeline which is landline dependent. Not every senior can afford both a landline and a cellphone.

In my reading, I learned that copper may be stolen from electric poles, power lines, substations and company storage yards with cables being cut in short lengths  with saw, bolt cutter or axe, with the  plastic coating being removed, as raw copper is more valuable. 

Copper thieves are receiving cash from recyclers who often fill orders for commercial scrap dealers. Recycled copper flows from dealers to a range of specialized applications on an international scale. It seems like an attractive venture to someone who doesn’t have a full time job and is looking for an ‘in and out’ gig to earn a lot of money over a short period of time, or someone who’s keen to go all in and make a full time job out of ‘cutting the cord’ of anyone and everyone in their community; effectively putting lives at risk! Yes, copper theft can make some people dead. Let that sink in. And let this sink – copper thievery can make the criminal dead if he doesn’t know what he’s doing and is cutting chunks of cable willy-nilly without regard for the steps required to safely complete the process.

  And what do we, their victims get? The medically fragile, housebound, in many cases and having no access to a cell phone, is truly trapped.  A person impacted by the criminal act of copper theft could be their own mother or father, or some other relative or family friend. Do they find their spine, their moral compass and stop. Do they turn themselves in, recognizing that they have to pay for the crime they’ve committed. Or do they keep going, and wait for the law to catch up with them.

Let’s hope the courts will  expeditiously take care of the morally bankrupt who’ve put lives at risk. A slap on the wrist isn’t enough; community service and an impactful fine rather than jail time would be more of a deterrent. Perhaps restorative justice could be part of the process as well. This is serious, people! 

If you see something, say something!

 Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Credit, credit scores and credentials

Photo: Dylan Gillis/Unsplash

Is the love of money the root of all evil? I don’t think so. Money, for most of us, is a tool by which we conduct the daily business of life and living though for far too many there isn’t enough. Or is there? Is it possible that what those who struggle may really need is guidance, instruction on how to do it -- how to live within available means and how to move beyond debt to credit – personal credit through savings and how to build a profile that will allow banks to take a chance on you, whether for a few thousand or several thousand. When we value ourselves and our principles, it shows in our interactions with others while we pave the way with building blocks that establish our credibility and our credit-ability

Ideally, learning to manage money begins in the home, with Mom or Dad imparting their pearls of wisdom to their children. It’s acknowledged that children learn what they live and if they see parents being wise in their use of money for the benefit of the family and the home, they will carry those lessons with them through their growing up and growing away from home to live on their own. Being responsible for the costs attached to a roof over the head, food on the table and all the other things involved in running a house, a home, is a daunting task and one not to be entered into lightly. One must have a plan. If you don’t have one, consult with people who can help you get on track and stay on task. It will save a lot of pain and frustration later, especially for young people starting out, perhaps with plans to get married and start a family. Trying to do that while mired in debt is a recipe for disaster, a huge hit and run accident waiting to happen.

We’re hearing and reading a lot about the debt ceiling in the US and how default will impact on the world stage. In our own lives, we have a debt ceiling, though some of us try to ignore it. Alas, we can’t avoid it. It will linger there. Walk, Don’t Run with Carla has featured articles about money, budgeting, saving and spending in aid of heightening awareness of the realities of living with disability and how difficult it may be for some to meet the monthly costs associated with independent living. Career options may not be ideal in that persons with disability may not make enough money to live to a standard enjoyed by most of the population. Some may have only one source of income, one provided by their provincial government. It’s a bare bones existence that invariably leads to a lot of anxiety and fear, which in turn cycles into physical and emotional unwellness due to stress. Financial stress is real and it’s debilitating.

Credit is an important tool in today’s economy, enabling people to buy a home or a car, start a business, pursue an education, weather a medical emergency or drop in income. However, those among us with disabilities have less access to credit than those without.

Individuals with disabilities are less likely to have a credit card and less likely to have common types of credit (such as auto loans or mortgages). One consequence of not having access to affordable credit is that those who live with constant stress may not have enough to cover an unexpected bill. What to do? Borrowing from family may not be an option. Credit cards with limit of $2,000 may be a place to start.

Apply for a credit card with your financial institution and have an honest discussion about your situation and what you can realistically handle as a monthly pay-back. Here’s an example: you have a broken washing machine and it’s going to cost $500 for parts and labour to fix it -- have a conversation with repair shop about a repayment scheme. It’s quite a new machine though out of warranty. If you don’t have a savings account, have one set up while you’re having a conversation with one of your bank’s financial advisors. Ask that $40/month be automatically transferred to your savings account. As you pay your bills, dump what’s left over into that account. Soon, you’ll have a payback installment for the appliance repair. Build savings to enhance spending.

Although lots of folks with disabilities work in well-paying jobs, they’re more likely to have lower incomes, lower levels of education, less attachment to the labor force and higher expenses than their non-disabled counterpart. Having a poor or insufficient credit history can be expensive. Generally, credit scores, ranging from 300–850, are calculated based on detailed information in consumer credit reports. It’s never to early to start practicing good habits to maintain financial health just as it’s never too late to repair bad credit.

I’ve spent my entire adult life successfully maintaining my financial health and as a home alone widow, it’s vital that I be aware of dollars and cents with common sense.

Weigh wants versus needs and ability to live within your means as you develop your financial cushion and improve financial health; remind yourself that living below means reaps major financial benefits and can be a sanity saver. It takes time and commitment but you’ve got this!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell