Harry Tavlaridis’ three Prospect properties hit by copper thefts

The tenants of a Prospect home were left with no water after their pipes were stolen as they slept, vfalling ictim to an “escalating” crime targeting the suburbs.

A man’s three Prospect properties fell victim to a opportunistic criminals in quick succession with police now highlighting ways to avoid the clutches of copper crooks.

Harry Tavlaridis and his family’s three investment properties had the exposed copper ripped out of them – one of them while the house tenants slept.

Mr Tavlaridis said the first theft has sparked an “escalation” in the offending, with the two most recent heists occurring within quick succession.

In what Mr Tavlaridis described at the most brazen of the offending, tenants of one of the properties woke to no water supply only to discover 15 metres of copper piping had been stripped from the house.

Then, in late-August, thieves made their way under the deck one of his houses and ripped several more metres of copper once again before also taking the water meter.

Harry Tavlaridis had copper stolen from three Prospect properties in quick succession. Picture: Supplied

Mr Tavlaridis said he thought the copper thieves would fold their spoils to fit in small bags. Picture: Supplied

Mr Tavlaridis said once the water meter was replaced, it was swiftly stolen again with SA Water eventually warning him to keep the meters elsewhere until the development had finished.

“They’re getting desperate,” he said.

“It’s definitely escalated recently.”

Mr Tavlaridis said he had outlaid about $5500 to repair the damage caused, but the annoyance of claiming back money through insurance, insurance premiums increasing, tenants being without services and changing the pipeline to prevent future thefts was a burden.

“All our properties just don’t have copper piping anymore, it’s been replaced with plastic,” he said.

“People just aren’t replacing with copper because they know what’s going to happen.”

Thieves crawled under the deck of a home before making off with several kilograms of copper pipe. Picture: Supplied

Mr Tavlaridis hot water service had to be repaired. Picture: Supplied

Mr Tavlaridis latest brush with copper theft happened at the end of August, days before police busted three men allegedly stealing a copper cable from an electrical pit just a few kilometres away.

Two days later police recovered more than 100 kilograms of stolen copper wiring and tools.

The hefty bounty was found after police nabbed a 43-year-old acting suspiciously at a home construction site before searching his van and making the discovery.

In the course of two weeks eight men were charged with offences related to the alleged theft of copper.

An SA Police spokesperson said copper theft was not only a criminal offence, but was a dangerous practice with offenders at risk of suffering electric shocks while trying to complete the theft.

They said there were several ways for homeowners to institute their own deterrence measures:

• Be suspicious of people loitering.
• Be suspicious of people loading metal into private vehicles.
• Make a note of vehicle registration numbers and company names if the occupants are behaving suspiciously – even if this is at a work site.
  
• If you own vacant premises visit them regularly and ask neighbours to report suspicious behaviour to police.
• Be alert to vehicles with their registration numbers obscured or missing.

Suspicious behaviour and thefts can be reported to police on 131 444.