Rewards offered for information about copper thefts, damage to fiber lines
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Local police and communications companies are warning people to keep an eye out for copper thieves.
Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers said in a press release that criminals in search of metal were likely behind a series of cuts to fiber optic cables. They described a cluster of incidents along the I-435 corridor near the Truman Sports Complex, along Blue Ridge Cutoff and 67th Street.
Crime Stoppers said that an unnamed communications company had contributed money to a reward fund for information about the damages.
The release said:
AT&T has also offered a $5,000 reward for copper thefts in the KC metro area.
A statement from the company on Thursday said, “”Keeping our customers connected is our top priority and these cable cuts and thefts can disrupt service.”
Jeff Borland, who lives off of 67th Street, had noticed utility workers replacing the fiber optic lines recently. One of the clusters of new lines had an attached sign that said, “NOT COPPER” and “NO SCRAP VALUE.”
Borland ed losing service a few days before. He said he didn’t know why anyone would go through so much trouble for scrap metal.
“I think they’re nuts,” he said. “There are plenty of jobs out here, and they could do something honest and not illegal. I worry about the people buying this stuff, too.”
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