Calgary Crime: Construction Site Thefts Surged 20% in 2025

CALGARY, AB — Construction site thefts jumped 20 percent in 2025, hitting 371 incidents and adding up to seven percent to the price of a new home in a city already grappling with affordability. The surge has forced builders to track lumber with Apple AirTags while the Alberta government scrambles to close loopholes in scrap metal sales.

The Calgary Police Service flagged the spike in a recent monthly report to the Calgary Police Commission. Deputy Chief Cliff O'Brien called the trend "fairly significant" and urged Calgarians to report thefts, but the numbers tell a story of an industry under siege: 255 thefts in 2023, 308 in 2024, and now 371 last year—well above the seven-year average of 277.

The Price Tag on Your Front Door

Michael Brown, President and CEO of Trico Homes, says theft has become "normalized" over the last two to three years. A single set of stolen appliances costs nearly $10,000 to replace. Multiply that across hundreds of sites, and the Canadian construction industry absorbs an estimated $45 million in annual losses. Those costs don't vanish—they show up in your mortgage payment.

"We're deploying fences, lighting, cameras, security patrols," Brown said. "And we're still watching materials disappear."

Bill Black, CEO of the Calgary Construction Association, pinned the problem on rapid city growth and affordability pressures. When copper wire is easy money and enforcement is thin, the math is simple for thieves.

The Legislative Fix

The Alberta government rolled out changes to its Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act and Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act in Fall 2025. The rules now force scrap buyers to log transaction details—dollar value, metal type, price—into a database accessible to law enforcement. It's a data trap designed to catch resellers moving stolen copper and steel.

Arthur Green, a government spokesperson, confirmed the changes are live. What's unclear: how many charges have been laid since the law took effect, and whether the database is actually being used to track repeat offenders.

The Underreporting Problem

Industry leaders say many thefts never make it into official stats. When a $200 spool of wire goes missing, builders often eat the loss rather than spend hours filing police reports and insurance claims. That means the 371 figure is likely a floor, not a ceiling.

O'Brien's call for more reporting highlights the gap: police can't solve crimes they don't know about, and builders can't afford to wait for stolen materials to be recovered.

What's Next

The Calgary Police Commission has the data. The question is whether Mayor Jeromy Farkas and City Council will push for stricter site security bylaws or expanded CPS patrols in high-theft zones. The province has plugged one hole—the scrap metal pipeline—but enforcement on the ground remains a city-level fight.

For now, construction companies are left playing defense with AirTags and night-shift guards while homebuyers absorb the cost. The thefts aren't slowing. The question is whether the fix will catch up before the tab gets higher.