Thieves Steal 1,500 Feet of Kinetic Cable in 5 Cazenovia Raids, Triggering $10,000 Reward
Updated
Updated · syracuse.com · Jul 2
Thieves Steal 1,500 Feet of Kinetic Cable in 5 Cazenovia Raids, Triggering $10,000 Reward
1 articles · Updated · syracuse.com · Jul 2
Summary
About 1,500 feet of Kinetic copper cable was cut down in five Cazenovia thefts since April, with the latest incidents on Tuesday and Saturday disrupting phone and internet service for 24 customers.
Kinetic said rising copper prices are driving the raids even though the stolen metal would fetch only about $570 to $1,140 as scrap, while repairs and replacement will cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Investigators believe thieves are climbing utility poles at night to cut lines mounted near electrical wires, creating risks of serious injury and outages that can affect police, fire, 911 and healthcare communications.
Kinetic is working with law enforcement, offering a $10,000 reward, and adding night-vision cameras and GPS trackers while continuing a multiyear shift from copper to fiber-optic lines.