- Copper theft is surging and disabling critical communications and safety infrastructure.
- These thefts have doubled, causing widespread service outages and safety risks.
- Incidents have silenced 911 systems and police radios in multiple communities.
- Telecom companies are investing millions in physical and technological security measures.
- New state laws aim to disrupt the illicit scrap metal market that fuels these crimes.
A silent crisis is stripping America’s critical infrastructure bare, not with a bang, but with the snip of wire cutters. As copper prices surge past $6 per pound, a staggering wave of thefts is disabling communications networks, silencing 911 systems, and plunging communities into darkness. This isn't petty crime; it's a coordinated assault on the very backbone of public safety and economic security, costing companies like AT&T alone a staggering $76 million in a single year and leaving millions of customers disconnected.
The numbers paint a dire picture. In 2025, more than 15,540 copper theft incidents were reported, double the volume from the previous period, according to a U.S. Telecommunication Association report. "Today, bad actors typically target communications lines in search of copper," the report stated. Thieves are brazenly cutting encased cables, burning off the sheathing, and selling the raw metal to scrap dealers, often with little oversight.
The consequences are far from abstract. In Laurel County, Kentucky, the theft of 1,500 feet of cable knocked out internet and 911 service for five hours across multiple counties. "It affected from Laurel County all the way up into Nicholasville," said Dave Godsey, a network operations manager. In Los Angeles, a theft in Elysian Park silenced the radios of Department of Transportation officers, leaving them without communication. A school in Vallejo, California, was shuttered for two days after thieves stripped its copper, causing $200,000 in damage.
A direct threat to life and safety
Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty warned that these are "major attacks on public safety, economic security, and national resilience." The thefts have turned off streetlights, severed landlines, and crippled cell service. A single theft in Dallas knocked out 911 service for a portion of the city, while another cut cellular connectivity from East Texas to the Louisiana state line.
"Most people think it's just a metal that's being cut, but the real impact is the connectivity that comes along with these pathways," explained Chris Merrifield, an AT&T executive. Emergency Management Director Ronnie Riddell in Kentucky emphasized the human cost, noting, "It's illegal for one thing, but you could actually cause somebody [to] lose their life."
The scramble for solutions
Telecommunications giants are now investing millions in a technological arms race. AT&T and Verizon are installing metal cages, GPS trackers within cables, enhanced fencing, and security cameras. AT&T is also offering substantial rewards, up to $20,000 in some states, for information leading to arrests. "This reward is more than an enforcement tool. It's a call to action for communities to work together to protect the infrastructure that powers our daily lives," the company said.
Law enforcement is also adapting. Tools like scraptheftalert.com, developed by the Recycled Materials Association, help track stolen materials. Todd Foreman of ReMA noted the site's role in one case that led to the arrest of suspects who stole $18,000 in wiring.
Ultimately, tackling the lucrative market for stolen metal is essential. New laws in California and Minnesota aim to disrupt the supply chain by requiring scrap dealers to rigorously verify sellers' identities and maintain detailed records. California's Assembly Bill 476, signed in late 2025, represents a bipartisan effort to make it harder for thieves to profit.
This epidemic exposes a fragile link in our modern society. We have built a world of instant communication and interconnected services, yet its physical infrastructure is vulnerable to those chasing quick cash from a commodity. The response requires more than just better locks and higher rewards; it demands a collective realization that protecting a strip of copper wire is synonymous with protecting a neighbor’s ability to call for help in their darkest moment. The price of copper is set by global markets, but the cost of its theft is paid in local outages, endangered lives, and a fraying trust in the systems we depend on every day.
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