Living in the modern world requires a lot of data and millions of miles of cables to get that information to phone, computer and TV screens.
For years, telecommunication companies used copper cables coated in plastic to transmit data. Some, like AT&T, still do. Now, companies are switching over to fiber optics to get more data to homes and businesses.
These older cables have been a target for thieves across the country. They strip the copper to sell to scrap yards for a quick buck. The thieves, though, often mistakenly cut into fiber optic cables in their search for copper.
In both instances, homes and businesses are left without data for long periods of time while the affected companies replace or repair the damage.
“It’s not just a property crime,” said AT&T lead investigator for global security Jim Lekse. “It affects people’s connection to 911. It can affect local law enforcement dispatch centers and cell towers. We had a case years ago when it took out the radar to the Indianapolis International Airport tower and the National Weather Service.”
According to the Internet and Television Association, copper thefts and infrastructure vandalism cases are rising across the country, potentially due to the rise in the price of copper.
To protect people’s lives and reduce operating costs, officials from companies such as AT&T, Spectrum and Comcast and state and local law enforcement agencies met at the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center Aug. 31 to share advice on keeping their critical infrastructure safe.
Copping copper
Lekse, a former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer and former Clermont Police Department chief, said thieves watch the metal market like stockbrokers and usually attempt their thefts when copper prices spike.
Once they steal the copper, they will then try to sell it to willing scrap yards and metal recycling facilities. Indiana companies like OmniSource and Troy’s Trash and Recycling have been investigated over the years for buying stolen copper.
Copper has a high density, meaning a little bit weighs a lot. Right now, copper is selling for about $4 a pound at scrap yards, which means the metal is worth the effort for purloiners.
“They’ll climb a pole and cut down a section of wire. They take the wire, they strip the plastic off of it or burn it,” Lekse said.
That’s because scrap dealers usually prefer to purchase raw copper without the plastic. It’s easier to process that way, and it removes some identifying marks that could get them in trouble for purchasing stolen materials.
Here in Indianapolis, thieves have recently struck the Wayne Township Preschool and Life Church 180 on the west side for their copper lines. Copper thefts and fiber optic cable vandalism also left some westside AT&T customers without internet for several days in November 2024.
The search for copper can land offenders in jail — it can cost them their lives.
Indiana State Police believe a 41-year old man was electrocuted Aug. 5 trying to steal copper wiring on a west side utility pole on Interstate 70. His lifeless body was found still gripping a cutting tool.
But risk hasn’t deterred dedicated thieves. Last year, 18,000 incidents were reported nationwide, disrupting service for nearly 12 million customers — even those whose internet providers don’t use copper at all.
Spectrum only uses fiber optic cables, but bandits cut into their lines too in hopes of finding copper.
Josh Moore, area vice president for Spectrum’s Midwest South Management Area, said the company is seeing an upward trend in line vandalism and has already seen more incidents by the end of August than it saw all of 2025.
Each fiber optic line can contain hundreds of individual fibers. If a line is cut, crews must repair each fiber strand individually. As each strand is repaired, a different neighborhood will recover service. That’s why some homes and businesses have service restored before others.
“It’s an expensive fix, and it takes a great deal of time to fix. It can take from two to 12 hours or even more, which means you have considerable downtime in the network,” said Moore.
Those outages can be extremely costly to businesses, Moore said. The outages have also affected 911 call centers, hospitals, banks and other critical facilities throughout the country.
Protecting critical infrastructure
Lekse said AT&T is working with scrap yards to help them identify stolen copper lines. The company only scraps its old copper in Illinois, so finding it in Indiana should raise a red flag.
“Our wire is unique. We can identify it even when it’s burned because it’s a twisted pair. It’s always braided,” he said.
Indiana has had state regulations for buying and selling copper for years.
People trying to sell copper have had to show an ID or driver’s license, provide their vehicle license plate number and sign statements saying the metal isn’t stolen property.
Buyers, including scrap yards, have to keep those records, as well as a video or photo of the seller and the material being sold.
A new law that took effect July 1, Senate Bill 271, limits the sale of telecommunications wire, like copper, even further.
Sellers must now provide more documentation to prove they are authorized to sell telecommunications wire. Buyers that knowingly purchase stolen metals or don’t require more documentation face a level 6 felony, which calls for at least six months and up to three years of jail time and up to a $10,000 fine.
Despite these restrictions, copper is still being stolen and sold. But it may soon become more lucrative to turn in a copper thief than to be one.
AT&T is offering $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of copper thieves here in Indiana. Spectrum offers up to $25,000.
Lekse said the best way to prevent bandits from cutting off your service is to keep a watchful eye. Investigators can pursue leads on stolen copper, but finding vandals who cut fiber optic cables is much more difficult.
“Once that fiber is cut, they have nowhere to go for an investigation unless somebody sees them and calls it in or there’s video,” he said.
Lekse said people should be wary of anybody hanging around utility poles and other places unless they’re clearly visible company markings.
“If somebody’s on our wire, they should be in a marked AT&T truck. They should have badges and be wearing an AT&T helmet and things like that,” he said. “If you see somebody up on a pole, they should look like they belong there. If not, call the police.”
How to report a theft
IMPD says people should call 911 if they witness a crime in progress or 317-327-3811 to file a report about a past crime.
You can also report the crimes to AT&T Global Security at 1-800-807-4205 or Spectrum at 1-833-404-8477 if the equipment belongs to those companies.
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Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on Bluesky at @enriquesaenz.bsky.social.
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