Copper gets stolen a lot these days. Even from cables. So door handles might not be the best idea.

The solution is to punish and prevent theft, not to give up.

Both of those are hopeless as the US crime stats show despite the medieval punishment system.

It's more about preventing the root cause of crime: culture and economy.

Exactly. As inflation goes up and wages remain stagnant, more and more people are doing the risk calculus that makes stealing and crime in general worthwhile.

People with good paying jobs that don't wear them down the bone don't steal things, but when you're looking at spending 90% of your pay on a shared living space, and no money left for food, or emergencies, then stealing copper, or catalytic converters all of a sudden starts looking like a valid option.

Your societal reference frame is bad and you should feel bad. Gilded age had all the punishments and stil humanity worked all things unguarded like a corrosive material. Which meant, all things public were burdened with a anti theft tax, a guy with a stick. Which is why it makes economically sense to pay a thief to sit at home and play video games, as otherwise you would need to hire him, to guard a bridge. Non surplus societies aint pretty.

Which unfortunately is not a solution since harsher punishments have shown to not prevent crime.

Harsher punishments are not as important as reliable enforcement. Harsh punishments that are reliably enforced are very effective, but we generally can get a "good enough" result with more moderate punishments, reliably enforced.

Huge battery shocks if the handle is removed. Then send the thieves to Australia.

Brass handrails and large door handles do regularly get stolen here.