Dallas law enforcement officials met with AT&T leaders on September 26 to address a surge in copper theft across Texas, which cost the telecommunications company $4 million last year.
AT&T executives and prosecutors discussed the widespread impact of the thefts, which often disrupt critical services. Michael Peterson of AT&T noted that the crimes go beyond financial losses. “You have a lot of senior citizens who get their healthcare over that copper line, sometimes a fiber line,” Peterson said, according to NewsRadio 1080 KRLD.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, Peterson has also pointed to homeless encampments and related crime as contributing factors to copper theft in Dallas.
Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot said copper theft leaves communities vulnerable. “If something is stolen and it shuts down, for example, Internet, or it shuts down communications to a critical infrastructure facility, to the police, to 911, things like that, then we are left in a void for servicing the citizens of the community,” Creuzot said.
Creuzot helped draft recently passed legislation to make prosecutions more straightforward. He explained the new law unites enforcement rules into one package, giving prosecutors a clearer path to hold thieves accountable.
AT&T also announced monetary rewards for information leading to arrests and convictions. The company is offering $20,000 in California and $10,000 each in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Missouri for tips about copper theft or illegal copper sales.
Copper theft has increased alongside higher prices, which range from $3.20 to $4 per pound depending on purity. Criminals sell stolen copper to recyclers for cash, according to Mobile World Live. AT&T said thieves sometimes mistake fiber lines for copper, damaging them and creating more outages.
Security measures now reinforce entry points, lock or weld manhole covers, and place wires inside metal casings. AT&T said it will retire most of its copper lines by 2029 as part of a fiber network upgrade.
The crackdown on copper theft comes as AT&T faces broader questions about its downtown future. As The Dallas Express reported on Sept. 22, the company has not affirmed on the record that it intends to remain at Whitacre Tower, even as reports suggest it has toured suburban campuses.