ST. LOUIS – The Franklin County and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices are raising concerns over a surge in wire thefts, with thieves targeting AT&T and Spectrum cables throughout the year.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says that thieves are cutting down cables, burning the encasing, and selling the materials for scrap. This vandalism leads to disruptions to telecommunications, internet, and poses a public safety threat, such as impacting the ability for first responders and dispatch to be able to effectively do their job.
“Missouri actually has the second-highest rate of copper thefts in AT&T’s network nationwide.” said Ben Russell, Lead Manager of Communications & PR for AT&T.
Franklin County and Jefferson County have made arrests in connection with these thefts, but several groups of thieves are believed to be involved. They are urging residents, businesses, and local communities to report any suspicious activity, such as individuals riding bicycles or walking down dark roads at unusual hours, or those seen with tools like pole saws, reciprocating saws, or rolls of cable or copper itself.
“We’re asking the public to be our eyes and ears,” said Franklin County Sheriff Steven Pelton. “These crimes don’t just impact utility companies—they can affect schools, hospitals, businesses, and homes.”
Spectrum has announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of individuals involved in cutting or stealing their communication wires, while AT&T is offering up to $20,000.
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