AT&T Goes After Copper Wire Thieves

coondoggie writes "Copper thieves targeting Atlanta are now being targeted themselves by AT&T, which is offering $3,000 for information leading to their arrest. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that in one recent three-day stretch, nearly 7,000 customers and two schools lost land line phone service. The FBI has said in the past that the rising theft of the metal is threatening critical infrastructure by targeting electrical substations, cellular towers, telephone land lines, railroads, water wells, construction sites, and vacant homes for lucrative profits."

also biggest target for menards/home depot/lowes

[MichaelKristopeit163]

go down the wire isle and you're almost guaranteed to be approached by a security guard posing as a shopper.... "$15M for this store and the lanes are so small, right? what's the deal?"

i usually pick up the biggest spool i can a few times and turn it over, then leave then come back and do it a few times just to watch them dance and attempt to continue their charade.

copper is more lucrative than gold in leveraging society. it is required in abundance.

Re:Copper theft

[Nate237]

At work we've had people destroy fiber thinking they were stealing copper. The aftermath is much more expensive than repairing copper.

Copper wire in South Africa

[crowne]

Here in South Africa copper wire has been a country wide problem, some areas being hit time and again 1 week after the lines have been restored.
I definitely agree that fiber is the way to go, especially once you've replaced the same line more than 6 times....

Problem is that they go after the electricity cables too, and those can't be replaced with fiber.
Occasionally they end up self fried, but it doesn't seem to be a long term deterrent.

Re:This is a problem not just besetting AT&T

[Beardo the Bearded]

That's the problem. When the scrap dealers will accept parking meters and in one case, the pendulum from a hundred-year-old clock, then the problem isn't the meth-head looking for a fix. A reputable place will require ID and call the place. Some of the places here provide coffee, a tent, and insulation strippers.

No really, parking meters. They started stealing the parking meters.

Re:Copper theft

[Nadaka]

Death is not the most strict punishment ever awarded for theft, and it seemed to work pretty well. Vlad Tepes Dracula was a hero to his people for being tough on crime.

Re:Copper theft

[drinkypoo]

Yes, but those are phone wires, not power distribution wires. (The difference lies in both the voltage and the current.) All telcos not already done are in the process of replacing as much copper as possible with fiber, starting with the biggest markets and working their way down. A fiber cut is a PITA to repair but it's many times easier than splicing a fat bundle of pairs of copper.

There are worse things

[Locke2005]

Like stealing statues, then selling them at one thousandth of their value as scrap metal: here [newstimes.com]

Re:Copper theft

[drinkypoo]

All you do is what they do at the pawn shop, take your ID information. Anyone worried about copper theft should be having the insulation custom-printed. Sorry, but there it is. Of course, once it's been burned off, you're not going to know jack without some very expensive metallurgical work.

Re:Scrap dealers; police who don't have time?

[Abstrackt]

Phone cables can be replaced, and a lot of people make good money doing it so it actually helps some who are not criminals. I'm just sayin'...

This reminds me of the parable of the broken window. [wikipedia.org]

So this is why AT&T hasn't burried my cable ye

[kj_kabaje]

I have a new-ish house where there wasn't originally a phone line. I added AT&T service about a month ago and they have yet to bury it. It seems like they're not too serious about this issue.