Fort Worth man catches thieves trying to steal copper wire from utility pole

[@norman10]

Petty theft ? Thousands of dollars in damage.

[@ChristmasEve777]

I was thinking the same thing. That's FELONIOUS grand theft...

[@scottmcshannon6821]

thousands of dollars damage. but the thieves are making much less than minimum wage. going to prison for stealing less than minimum wage. these are really stupid thieves.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

@@ChristmasEve777More like tens of thousands……

[@chileung4599]

I spent $1,000 to repair my AC because someone stole the copper. I hate those thieves!

[@ekids.bassment]

only those?

[@likemilfes]

Carry!

[@stickyfox]

Homeowners' insurance.

[@rupe53]

Some years ago (in Ct) these crooks were showing up at condo projects and walking away with new AC systems. They were NOT going for scrap value when they could get real cash for both the inside and outside units, along with the installation kits left in unlocked garages at a construction site.

[@kboop11]

Illegals 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@tripplefives1402]

In Texas it's legal to use weapons to defend someone else's property as well as your own.

[@ChristmasEve777]

That's the way it should be. I can't do that here in Michigan. My life has to be in danger.

[@incognito5986]

@@tripplefives1402 it is, they have tools.

[@stickyfox]

It's legal but stupid. Do you want to get shot protecting some ruined 1990s phone wire worth forty dollars at the recycler? I wouldn't.

[@incognito5986]

@@stickyfox would the thief feel the same?

[@williamrudolph3481]

JUST TEXAS?

[@PaulTierney-nb3qe]

The best videos are the ones of the rocket scientists that try to remove copper from a power station’s. The remnants are heartwarming. Literally

[@kellykersten8828]

Always want something for nothing

[@allthingsnu4673]

They need to start cracking down on the places that are buying copper, catalytic converters, and all of the other things people are stealing to sell.

[@spoodlydoodler3552]

​@@poa2.0surface77 both avenues need to happen as there are both honest and dishonest people in that business. The dishonest ones encourage their nasty clientelle to steal cause it helps them make money too, as theyre obviously not buying it at a full price to what they coukd sell it for.

[@Geema2004]

@@poa2.0surface77. You’re wrong! If there was no one buying this type of copper, then it wouldn’t get stolen!

[@incognito5986]

Exactly, put a fine so exorbitant they cry thinking about buying stolen goods.

[@jonathannagela2130]

@@incognito5986 its already a felony but isnt prosecuted.

[@stevenmoomey2115]

In Maryland, you are on Cameras from the Moment you enter Recycler’s Property. Also they require a Government issued Picture Identification. They take a picture, of your ID, to go along with the transaction. Pretty much put an end to Catalytic Converter Theft. We still have a small problem with Copper Theft, as the Thieves return to their State, but that is less too.

[@jimdrummer816]

Who pays these losers for the copper??

[@AB-dl1hz]

The scrap yard or recycling center you just take it in and put it on the scale and get whatever price it is per pound

[@joekev27]

Scrappers but here in Chicago certain scrap yards will ask for your Electrical license or a Union card if you bring anything over like 10awg. Kinda suspicious if your bringing in a bunch of scrap copper and your not an electrician. Though not all scrap yards do this.

[@JonasC22]

why you asking? 🤔

[@dakmycat3688]

Other crooks

[@AB-dl1hz]

@@dakmycat3688 how???

[@LygerTheCLaw]

this is not a petty theft, these lines cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace and us consumers pay for it. the electric companies rates will account for this loss, so being passive if you see it won't be any good. all that for maybe $100 in copper. recyclers need to be held accountable too.

[@ralfie8801]

Electric companies haven’t used copper transmission lines since like 1901. Those are phone lines, and that is why phone companies are pricing their consumers out of land lines if they won’t change to internet based systems.

[@LygerTheCLaw]

@@ralfie8801 at 0:47 you can see it looks like a fibrous material. hard to tell what it even is, but it certainly isn't a phone line, even if a bundle for a whole community wireset. it almost looks like a telephone pole anchor wire.

[@pyootchnich]

First offense, remove a finger of their choice. Second offense, remove one hand.

[@CA-lk6fd]

I have a good friend that works for our local power company. A few years ago, a guy broke into a substation and attempted to steal the grounding loop. He got into some high voltage, and it literally blew his nuts off of him. He lived for a few days in the hospital but died from severe injuries and burns. If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

[@ketas]

this is nuts

[@ChristmasEve777]

Petty theft would be stealing a small length of copper wire from Home Depot. THIS is grand theft...

[@jsuperman7672]

Does Texas have it where a scrap yard has to i.d. you (and basically your on record) and some state have it now where the scrap yard place isn't suppose to except stolen metal, but some dirty scrap yard owners still cheat the system. before you get money for any scrap metal.

[@adriansmith6993]

Happened in my neighborhood a few times. They usually get to these wires around 2 - 3 am when everyone is asleep. I thought it was illegal to buy used copper

[@justdoingitjim7095]

Why would you think that? I did tons of electrical work in my remodeling and always sold the old copper we pulled out. Both electrical and plumbing.

[@LygerTheCLaw]

it's not illegal to buy or sell copper. however if some tweakers walk into a recycler with 2" diameter copper wire, you know they are doing something they shouldn't. this isn't the kind of wire you just find laying in a dumpster.

[@justdoingitjim7095]

@@LygerTheCLaw I used to belong to Local 59 Electrical union (IBEW) and every contractor had a box where all scrap wire was supposed to be put. He would sell it at the end of the job and throw a little party for us on the last day of completion. Every electrician I've ever known never threw ANY wire away, even from their own homes.

[@sandrabonner8208]

"CHOOT 'EM!" -Troy Landry

[@danlowe8684]

That cable had survived many economic situations in its lifetime.

[@jamesbianchei]

Thieves don’t want to work every day and neither do the homeless. They work 2 maybe 3 days a week, get enough money to eat and pay maybe drug habit and then do it all again. They do it on their schedule. Copper pays out pretty well. I just watched video earlier today about the thieves cutting the ev charging station hoses that hook up to your car and stealing them. That is high quality copper.

[@jimr3751]

Right now copper is going for approximately 4.50 to just over 5 a pound

[@ralfie8801]

There’s also #1 and #2 grade scrap copper, #1 brings more money. Same with aluminum.

[@GodswillBDone4WeThePeople]

Police in my town are in the bucket trucks

[@Woodyperckerhead-ni3ti]

Along with their family members stealing guns

[@steveladner4346]

Bingo

[@GodswillBDone4WeThePeople]

@@steveladner4346 they should be arrested with UT doing what police can do with new electronics , the things they doing are against the bill of rights, and against the oath to protect and serve

[@user-ln7of9gs4s]

Next tint call the COPs, and don’t confront. You scared them off.

[@MatthewYoink]

Call the police? They should be so lucky to be softly handled by them

[@paulkurilecz4209]

DPD does not respond to property theft crimes anymore. You enter the information onto a website and perhaps someone will call you about it. "Here is your incident number for your insurance claim."

[@ralfie8801]

Just rely on old Mr. 870.

[@SCVM__]

This wizard didn't take a picture or video. ...Leave the wire on the ground for later.

[@woodchooi8859]

US crime laws has no teeth or heavy punishment like in other countries where the person will think real hard before doing a crime.

[@justdoingitjim7095]

WARNING...CLICK BAIT!!!!! This is the 3rd video where channel 8 has said a homeowner CAUGHT thieves, but they didn't! In the other two videos the homeowner only videoed the thieves, NOT CAUGHT THEM! In this video the homeowner SAW them, but never tried to "catch" them! Proper headline, "Homeowner views thieves stealing wire and calls cops!"

[@OldAndInTheWay-k1w]

You forget that you must be a cognitive thinker to get a job. These folks were not ony severally lacking in intelligence they were obviously too lazy to educate themselves too.

[@AAaa-wu3el]

Never thought that this type of cable is still in use anywhere in the world. It's so old and outdated. The USA is a third world country indeed.

[@pkerit308]

There is old lead cable still in use here, dated 1946

[@deadcarz4926]

They wouldn't steal it, if they couldn't sell it. Focus on the scrap metal yards!

[@elisadelaurenti2516]

Just wait until they figure out how much copper there is in all those EV charging stations.

[@SOU6900]

People already have. Have you not heard that they're cutting the cables that go from the charger to the vehicle?

[@elisadelaurenti2516]

@@SOU6900 I've seen only one case thus far. Soon it'll catch on.

[@jimr3751]

South Minneapolis Minnesota got hit quite a few times

[@elisadelaurenti2516]

@@jimr3751 I hope they take them all.

[@jefflocke8042]

Don’t forget about all the lead that’s worth money to

[@geoWhite]

This is not cheap wire that has to be replaced, this wire costs a lot of money not counting the man hours to rehang it.

[@marthawhitehouse9838]

They succeeded in East Fort Worth. They knocked out AT&T Internet for an entire day.

[@JasonWright-vz9yp]

It must have been a BIG gut feeling. 😮

[@RayTuttle-of5qd]

Hope they got a charge out of it

[@SOU6900]

As someone that's had to fix their own phone line because of dogs I can honestly say that it will give you a nice little tingle.

[@diegosuarez1563]

Those were telephone cables.

[@SOU6900]

@@diegosuarez1563 You can still get a shock from em. Nowhere near what you'd get from a power line, but they can still get you.

[@dr.johnrader3677]

Bidenomics at work.

[@marthawhitehouse9838]

Oh yes, there were certainly never any thieves when Trump was president except for Trump and his entire family.

[@mariojrog9465]

Stay strapped

[@georger2505]

People are cutting those cables in Turnbull Canyon in Whittier CA, several times in the last months--should be a federal offense to mess with communications..

[@westhighlands522]

Probably used a cut off saw with a metal blade. Not a chain saw. But yeah. We’ll call it a chain saw I guess.

[@z33511]

Texas -- it's a whole other country. Right now, it's looking more like Venezuela.

[@ralfie8801]

Well, what do you expect with all of the released Venezuelan prisoners that have come here in the last few years?

[@williamrudolph3481]

What do you mean PETTY bro? In some countries, they would have their hands removed, which would make one think twice.

[@nscurge]

Crime committed by 3 men…That’s a pretty detailed description of the suspects

[@stephend9899]

They were either hispanic or white, who have/know how to use tools!

[@1wheeldrive751]

You know why.

[@larryborsa4396]

In what world does anyone still use lead sheathed cable?

[@AAaa-wu3el]

In the USA they use it. World bottom country with ambitions.

[@Internutt2023]

It's called "its still working, so don't do anything to it" , lol Its most likely over 70 years old, I I worked on cables like that in aerial pole leads back in the 80's and early 90's, until they finally got replaced by plastic sheathed cables due to maintenance issues.

[@andyevans2336]

Those are telephone lines that were lead shielded to allow for higher speed communication with less interference from the overhead power lines. In a sensible world, those lines should have been usable for over a hundred years. Just because they are old does not mean they needed to be replaced(until now)

[@larryborsa4396]

@@andyevans2336 That is just so much BS. Lead sheathed cables were never meant to be used for the manner you describe. They were the product of the 40s through 60s. Alpeth and Stalpeth were the replacements. Lead cables pairs had no colour code, were paper wrapped and were a maintenance nightmare in wet climates. Not to mention the lead hazards.

[@drummerdoingstuff5020]

Employers are bigger crooks

[@wilburshaw9330]

The authorities would never know about this. And, the relatives would just think they disappeared.🤔

[@blacklabmatters]

Greasers, Biden just invited them in.

[@m.scottreeder]

This is so pitiful. These types of thieves steal aluminum, brass, you name it. Some will risk a building fire, and even risk getting electrocuted, while stealing wire around an active power line.

[@woodstocknation1961]

People need to legitimately be concerned about their neighborhood and community they live in. GOOD over evil.

[@whatsreal7506]

No description? Riiight...

[@darrellcook8253]

Investigate the buyers and stop the thieves at the source.

[@sv4996]

Blacktivities!

[@sheiladikshit5110]

south africa 2.0

[@budyfixit]

Bury lines

[@4dpeepscom]

Drugs

[@lindapindabelinda3570]

Use that information to get search warrants for all of the scrapper/recyclers with a couple hundred mile area. I bet you big money that you’re going to find a pile of cables at at least one of them.

[@joselcruz2700]

I've seen people arguing over 30m for a 5m job

[@SkullBanker-68]

Better get used to this.

[@purplemicrodot58]

Shocking! We hope.

[@HardCoreGarage]

Stopping someone is completely different than pausing them. Its been proven over and over, pauses don't work.

[@My-Pal-Hal]

LANDLINE 😳 That's the Real Crime Here !

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

If this sounds like petty theft to the reporter, maybe some more in-depth story research should be done. We’re looking at over 30k to splice all of that.

[@livnaway]

It's easier for thieves to cut Tesla charger cables and they do us all a public service when they do so

[@hoosierplowboy5299]

Go after the scrap dealers who are buying this obviously stolen wire...

[@PeterKowalsky-e1q]

The amazing thing is that's lead cable and ATT is stIll using it in2024.

[@sharonhines3476]

That's some old cable. Lead sheathed. Also a huge pain to repair. I'm actually shocked someone had a landline, tbh though.

[@Chad-i9k]

Make it illegal for scrap yards to buy copper then this will stop.its sad but it has come to that

[@danielebrparish4271]

Scrap metal dealers in Louisiana are forbidden from paying cash for metals other than aluminum cans. The must scan the seller's ID and phograph him, his vehicle and his vehicle's and trailer's license plates. Payment can only be made by a non-transferable check that must be mailed to the seller's home after a 5 day waiting period. They also must record the weight of the metal and what form it is in. e.g. wire, ingot, plates, etc. The records must be made available for inspection for a minimum of 2 years. Louisiana no longer has a theft of metals problem.

[@hotpuppy1]

This looks like a job for Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson!

[@oldmanx1234]

We need to shut down the scrap yards that buy this stuff. Lock them down.

[@russellbarton7565]

Normally they don’t do this in the daylight. They usually steal the cable in the middle of the night while people are sleeping

[@nomusicrc]

Just remember we have laws to protect the guilty If they can't get any money for it they will stop stealing it

[@briansmyla8696]

That cable is covered with lead. It must be super heavy.

[@rupe53]

Here in lower Ct the crooks come in after a storm to "clean up" wire left lying on the ground, while saying they are subcontractors working for the power company. One look says, no hard hats, no orange vests, and a 20 year old pickup, ain't working for a utility. Did I mention a few scruffy guys riding in the bed of the truck? Certainly not OSHA approved!

[@reneeyounk9663]

Ive had all the wiring and plumbing copper stolen from one rental house, twice!!! How the heck??? They pull the fuse first? Thats just crazy! Stores closeing cuz thieves will gather a hundren and mass rob stores and not theyre pulling utility lines down!?! Wheres the recycler calling cops cuz hes taking in utility line!?! Here, people but new copper water line and recycle it cus it was like $14 a stick to recycle but the started asking questions and taking note when lots of "recycled" copper came in.

[@timjballin]

They couldn’t call the police because the cable had been cut to their phones? Have y’all heard about this amazing new “cell phone“ technology?

[@stevenolson8392]

Just go get a job... Uncle Sam has his hands to deep for all that!

[@divemor]

In early 2023 someone stole about 2000 feet of the aerial cable that served us.. This knocked out my landline and then my internet. It took ATT over 3 months to restore service with nothing but promises to us that they were working on the problem. Needless to say, by the time they said they could restore my service we had already connected to Spectrum for our service and will never reconnect to ATT.

[@KS-hj6xn]

Next time let the cops arrive before going out to tell the idiots the cops are comin.

[@Einwetok]

Not a new problem, they'll pull it straight out of light poles, or wait till you replace your AC and hit you again.

[@brianwells4507]

Hold the scrap metal places totally accountable! Without a place to sell the stolen metal, you'll see an immediate drop in thefts like this!

[@rogerlayne8623]

They get money from the copper,the lead,and the steel

[@stickyfox]

You do *not* want a nosy neighbor. I've got one. Trust me. He didn't save anybody any money. That line's going to the scrap yard anyway regardless of who pockets the $3 a pound and it needs to be replaced anyway for thousands. And I knew things in Texas were bad but I had no idea they still don't have fiber. Maybe this will spur them to finally start doing some upgrades.

[@kitcarpo4745]

Did not have a concealed weapons permit.

[@mikemiller209]

Our union hall had a thief climb on the roof and steal the coil out of an ac unit ... it cost 20k to replace the unit and they probably got $8 dollars out of the aluminum coil

[@vg23air]

they didnt have copper in venezuala

[@croiners4166]

This should be akin to horse stealing as in the old west!❤

[@michaelvalcourt9978]

Those are lead sheath cables. Get money for the lead too.

[@freddykrueger9505]

The shape this country is in it's only going to to get worse

[@bullyboy131]

Praise Jesus. Don't mess with Texas!

[@tomhughes4980]

Copper primary or secondary lines?

[@chrisfair8449]

petty theft?? sounds like a felony to me

[@GenericHandle666]

This ain’t California.

[@justintaylor3569]

Correct. California's' economy alone is magnitudes larger than sh!thole texas

[@mozzajayjc]

New people bring new crimes☹️

[@micheal2312]

This is what they do in Africa

[@georglimiux677]

Have Krueger go after them...

[@MockBrainworthy]

Welcome to Somalia.

[@todjmzbckez]

2008 all over again

[@PSUQDPICHQIEIWC]

If aluminum prices go up enough, maybe they'll do us all a favor by trying to steal the ACSR up top. "Can you describe the truck sir?" "Yes. It's the one that's on fire. Can't miss it."

[@Redspeciality]

How about making it illegal to sell or buy used copper wire and piping? That would stop this

[@ralfie8801]

Then what are you supposed to do for new copper wiring and pipe? Mine it all? Then what happens with all of the scrapped product? You really didn’t think that through did you?

[@stephennickerson7685]

They disrupted FCC regulated communication lines,prevented people from accessing emergency services. What if someone needed an ambulance and couldn't call? They should get 20 years for this.

[@TheSiriusEnigma]

There is NO copper in utility poles. And hasn’t had any for decades. Too heavy.

[@pkerit308]

poles are wood. of course theres no copper in a pole but theres lots of copper hanging on the poles

[@TheSiriusEnigma]

@@pkerit308 no. There is not. It’s all aluminium alloy.

[@russellbarton7565]

I work for att and we still have thousands of miles of copper cable in the air. All across America.

[@savr4est]

They are also stealing back flow preventers on your water service for the brass.

[@SOU6900]

They did that one time outside the warehouse I work in. Not to mention one of those large heavy duty chains for securing heavy equipment to a trailer that my manager rigged up to keep our gate closed.

[@davidhtims]

As a retired at&t employee, i saw tons of this. Once they were taking ground wires off poles with axes and a guy got electrocuted and burned to death.

[@southernracing2468]

How did he get shocked from the ground wire did it touch a live wire or something

[@davidhtims]

@@southernracing2468 the solid copper was running power to ground thru a faulty transformer. 660v

[@southernracing2468]

@@davidhtims that’ll definitely do it

[@hunterjames01]

Those thieves gotta eat too and food prices are rising.

[@rustyshackleford4942]

You are part of the problem.

[@SCVM__]

Tell it to AOC

[@jdjefferson1323]

They are probably tweakers.

[@jdjefferson1323]

They are probably tweakers.

[@hunterjames01]

@SCVM__ just gimme her address and I'll send it on over