The Garland Police Department’s compilation reel demonstrates the audacity of copper thieves. According to the department, thefts that take place in plain sight have increased.
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Fort Worth police briefed the Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday on the ongoing spike in metal thefts across the city.
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Police say they’ve seen a 545% increase in AT&T cable thefts in the past two years and a 53% increase in overall thefts of copper and other metals.
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City leaders say the crime puts everyone in jeopardy by affecting vital emergency communications.
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Police say they ve arrested more than 20 people for metal thefts in the past year, but it s not nearly enough.
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Fort Worth police briefed the Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday on the ongoing spike in metal thefts across the city.
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Police say they’ve seen a 545% increase in AT&T cable thefts in the past two years and a 53% increase in overall thefts of copper and other metals.
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City leaders say the crime puts everyone in jeopardy by affecting vital emergency communications.
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Police say they ve arrested more than 20 people for metal thefts in the past year, but it s not nearly enough.
Texas’s Fort WorthFort Worth appears to be suffering the most from the sharp rise in metal thefts that has occurred around North Texas.
According to Fort Worth police, AT&T cable thefts have increased by more than 500% in only the previous two years.
Businesses, entire neighborhoods, and even critical emergency communications are all impacted by this crime.
We know:
Theft of utility-grade metal, such as AT&T communications cables, is being committed by criminals like the three suspects who were apprehended on surveillance in a November Trackdown segment.
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Trackdown: Help find these Fort Worth copper thieves
Hundreds of feet of cable wiring were stolen in a Fort Worth parking lot just a month ago. Clear footage of the suspects was caught by cameras.
Sgt. Anthony White of the Fort Worth Police Department stated, “These thieves are not getting one foot when they hit us here in Fort Worth.” At a time, they are removing 200 to 300 feet. More at times.
City officials in Fort Worth were told on Tuesday on the unrelenting rip-offs occurring at an unprecedented rate.
The following are some current initiatives to combat cable crime:
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more city cameras to catch the thieves in the act
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an awareness campaign
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better collaboration with AT&T and scrap metal yards
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a push for legislation to stiffen penalties for those caught and convicted
Based on the figures:
Investigators note that during the two-year period from 2022 to 2024, metal thefts increased by 53% and AT&T cable thefts in the city increased by 545% compared to the previous two-year period.
Although Fort Worth police claim to have arrested over 20 persons for metal theft in the last 12 months, this is still far from sufficient.
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Video: Garland police chase copper thieves in U-Haul
After a U-Haul truck pursuit, Garland police detained three accused copper thieves.
What they’re saying:
Gyna Bivens, the mayor pro-tem, claims her constituency has been severely impacted.
“At one point in time, I had a neighborhood without internet service for more than two weeks,” she stated.
It is a persistent crime, according to police and city officials, for people to risk their own safety in order to steal copper and other metal communication lines.
Sgt. White’s description of an ongoing case speaks for itself.
“I can t talk much or go in-depth about it because it s an active investigation, but there s a couple here in Fort Worth in the last two months that has profited, put in their pocket $40,000 stealing AT&T cable.”
The Fort Worth City Council meeting on Tuesday and the Fort Worth Police Department are the sources of the information in this article.
