Solar panels were stolen from a BC Hydro generating station on Vancouver Island.
According to the Campbell River RCMP, two solar panels were recently stolen from one of the roadside instrument stations at BC Hydro’s John Hart Dam.
The theft was reported to the RCMP on Nov. 17.
Const. Maury Tyre, media spokesperson with the Campbell River RCMP, told CHEK News it is the first time roadside solar panels have been reported stolen in the community.
“Solar panels are a common theft item in the summer, usually portable ones off of mobile homes,” he said, adding. “This is the first case where roadside panels have been taken.”
Tyre said as is the case with the vast majority of stolen items, police believe the solar panels will be taken out of the community and sold elsewhere, either for drugs or money that will later be used to buy drugs.
“A lot of items that are stolen, are stolen with the belief they have intrinsic value and get trafficked into the drug trade for pennies on the dollar,” he said.
At the moment, Tyre said they have little information about the theft and no suspects.
“It’s an odd area for something like that to be taken,” he said.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Campbell River RCMP detachment at 250-286-6221.
Nicholas Pescod
