Copper Thieves Cause Chaos Across Country

Copper thefts have become a growing concern across the country, with companies like AT&T and Spectrum being targeted by thieves. The thieves strip the copper from cables to sell it for scrap metal, often cutting into fiber optic cables in the process.

According to Jim Lekse, an AT&T lead investigator for global security, the thieves are motivated by the rising price of copper. 'They watch the metal market like stockbrokers and usually attempt their thefts when copper prices spike,' he said.

The problem is not just limited to copper thefts, but also includes vandalism of fiber optic cables. When a fiber optic line is cut, crews must repair each individual strand, which can take anywhere from two to 12 hours or more, resulting in significant downtime for customers.