More and more churches in Sweden are affected by copper theft, according to recent figures from the Church’s insurance company.
Despite the fact that the problem has existed for a long time, it seems difficult to overcome and 2023 will be a gloomy record year in the statistics.
– We are concerned, says Anders Engström, claims manager at the company.
The church’s insurance insures around 70 percent of the country’s churches and during the years 2016-2022 has received an average of 27 claims about copper theft per year. But for 2023, a sharp increase is seen and up to and including the month of November, there are 45 notifications.
– This, of course, means costs for us, he says. We’re going to help our customer restore this. But it also means big costs for our customer. If you are very unlucky when these kinds of thefts happen, then we may actually have to plaster a church, for example.
The scrap price contributes
One of the affected churches is the one in Tidaholm. Three downpipes and a copper cable to the lightning conductor were suddenly missing there on a Sunday morning in December.
– It’s always troublesome when we get vandalism and theft at our churches, says Eva Olofsson, cemetery director in Tidaholm. It’s hard and boring and you get a little angry.
According to the Church’s insurance, the prevailing high scrap price for copper may have contributed to the increase. They also suspect that many of the thefts are organized and that at least some of the metal disappears abroad.
I don’t see any quick solution
But despite long cooperation with, among others, the police and the recycling industry regarding the problem, there is no immediate solution in sight.
– No, unfortunately, says Anders Engström. I think that you have to collectively take a rather big approach. Be quicker to notify and inform each other that this is happening.
In Tidaholm, cemetery director Eva Olofsson believes that the buyers must be approached. But also that it must think for itself and perhaps not replace, for example, a stolen downpipe directly with a new copper one.
– Unfortunately, that’s how it is. As soon as you install new copper, you get rid of it. Because then they know it has come up, she says.