Wave Of Costly Copper Thefts Threatens Public Safety, Experts Say
Authored by Allen Stein via The Epoch Times,
With copper prices at new highs, attacks on communications and power networks have sharply increased, and telecommunications companies, power suppliers, and construction firms are sounding the alarm.
Copper was trading at roughly $6 per pound or $12,000 a ton at midday on Jan. 7, a more than 30 percent year-over-year increase, according to industry analyst MarketWatch.
The increase in price contributed to the more than 15,540 copper theft incidents in 2025, according to a report by the U.S. Telecommunication Association. The volume of thefts during the first half of the year was double the previous period.
“Today, bad actors typically target communications lines in search of copper,” the report stated.
“They steal encased copper cables and cut them into short lengths before burning them to remove the sheathing to reveal the raw copper inside.”
Copper thefts have caused entire buildings to lose power and left some streets without lights.
On Dec. 30, 2025, a copper theft in Elysian Park silenced the radios of Los Angeles Department of Transportation Officers, cutting off their communication and leaving them without emergency support.
In October, thieves stole $50,000 worth of copper wire from a telephone pole in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, disrupting service for Frontier and AT&T customers.
Police later apprehended two suspects allegedly linked to the crime.
In late January 2025, Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy in Vallejo, California, lost power, but it was no ordinary outage.
Thieves slipped into the building at night, stripped it of copper, and left behind a costly mess that shuttered the public K–8 school for two days and cost $200,000 in repairs.
Powerlines in Los Angeles on April 4, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
In December 2025, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland arrested three people linked to a copper theft ring responsible for more than $3 million in losses.
The arrests followed an eight-month investigation into reports of copper wire theft at utilities across the county and other areas.
In the last six months of 2025, police in Portland, Oregon, responded to a sharp increase in copper thefts.
“These thefts have significantly disrupted communication services—particularly landline connections—and impacted local businesses and emergency response systems,” according to the city’s website. The crimes caused more than $2 million in losses and damage across the city.
Wiring is stripped of its copper interior after an incident of theft in Los Angeles on April 4, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
USTelecom said a key factor driving this activity is the ease with which thieves sell stolen materials and equipment to scrap metal dealers and resellers.
Often, this takes place with little oversight or accountability.
Todd Foreman, senior director of law enforcement outreach at the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), noted that rising copper values have led to an increase in theft reports on scraptheftalert.com, a law enforcement resource.
Developed by ReMA, this tool enables users to notify the recycled materials industry of significant material thefts in the United States and Canada.
Once checked and approved, alerts are sent by email to all users who have signed up and are within 100 miles of where the theft happened.
Foreman said one recent case involved the theft of $18,000 worth of communications wiring. By using the online tool and working with community members, victims, and recyclers, police caught two suspects.
Wiring sits stripped of its copper interior after an incident of theft in Los Angeles on April 4, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty told officials in October 2025 that carriers such as Charter and AT&T are facing escalating attacks on their networks.
“These are not minor disruptions,” Trusty said. “They are major attacks on public safety, economic security, and national resilience.”
Because stealing copper poses a threat to national security, Trusty said Congress and law enforcement should make these thefts a top priority.
Telecoms Targeted
In 2025 alone, nationwide copper theft cost AT&T $76 million, with at least 8,700 incidents reported, a company spokesman told The Epoch Times.
These incidents turned off streetlights, cut phone and internet services, and cost several million dollars in repairs across the state.
“Copper theft and vandalism of communications infrastructure are serious criminal matters that disrupt services for our customers, public safety, and the community at large,” the spokesman said.
AT&T is now offering cash rewards for information that leads to arrests and convictions.
The company is offering $20,000 in California and Missouri, and $10,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“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.
AT&T said it works with law enforcement to help ensure copper thieves are caught and held accountable.
“When copper theft occurs, AT&T acts as quickly and safely as possible to restore service to affected customers and communities,” the spokesman said.
“We regularly review and enhance the security of our infrastructure to help prevent these incidents.”
Workers repair a section of cable severed by vandals who stole 500 feet of copper cable from train tracks along the A subway line in New York City, on May 27, 2015. MTA/Marc A. Hermann via AP
The improvements include securing entry points to critical infrastructure, installing metal casings to protect wires, and locking or welding maintenance hole lids to prevent unauthorized access.
Verizon is also strengthening its network infrastructure by installing metal cages around critical cell sites and equipment, adding security cameras in high-risk areas, and enhancing perimeter fencing.
“Beyond raising awareness of this issue, we are rolling out robust and proactive theft reduction initiatives across our network,” a company spokesman told The Epoch Times.
It is also installing GPS tracking devices within network cables. If tampering occurs, the device immediately alerts Verizon’s Network Operations Center, which notifies police and local management.
A woman walks past a street light subjected to wire theft in Los Angeles on April 4, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
The USTelecom report stressed that tackling the demand for stolen copper is just as crucial as protecting networks. It called for law enforcement, companies, and lawmakers to work together.
California Assembly Bill 476, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in late 2025, aims to curb copper wire theft by imposing new rules on scrap metal dealers.
The bipartisan law requires dealers to verify sellers’ identities, obtain signed statements, and maintain better records to protect critical systems and prevent stolen materials from being sold.
Other states have signed similar legislation, such as Minnesota’s copper theft law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The new law aims to prevent copper wire theft by requiring anyone selling scrap copper to hold a license.
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