Nanaimo RCMP say the multi-use turf fields at 2235 Dorman Rd. are closed for night use following the theft of copper wire from light fixtures.
Police said sometime between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Sept. 30, thieves stole 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 metres) of copper wire from light fixtures at the fields, run by the City of Nanaimo.
The estimated cost to repair and replace the wiring is around $20,000 and until the wiring is replaced, nighttime use of the fields has been cancelled, police said. The fields are expected to be closed for several days while the damage is repaired.
Police said they were alerted to the theft by City of Nanaimo employees. According to police, the thieves managed to access the wiring in a “manner that suggests some prior knowledge of the wiring in the park.”
The covers were opened and the wiring was removed, police said. Fibre optic wiring was cut but not removed.
“The fields are a tremendous asset to our community and are used daily by various sporting groups. It is so disheartening to the see the extent to which thieves will go, with no thought or regard for the impact their actions have on so many,” Const. Gary O’Brien, media relations officer with the Nanaimo RCMP, said in a statement.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
CHEK News
