The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office just secured a $40,000 grant to try and stop the theft of telecommunication cables that have disrupted phone lines throughout the county.
Who is the source of the grant funding? AT&T – the largest provider of both mobile and fixed telephone service in the United States.
With the company being hit by ongoing theft of telecommunications lines – thieves will rip the expensive wiring out of the ground, cut it into sections, and haul it off to strip it and ultimately sell it for scrap – law enforcement agencies from throughout the county have been working overtime to try and prevent the costly and potentially dangerous thefts.
While the crime is usually a costly one – the 400-pair wire sections are very expensive and the process of replacing the sections is time-intensive – it comes a public safety concern when the affected wiring cuts 911 service as has happened multiple times in the county.
“Copper wire theft is a serious matter and affects public safety and the community at large. This year, San Joaquin County has been ground zero for copper wire theft and fiber optic cable damage,” San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow said in a release announcing the grant. “Since April 26, 2023, the Community Revitalization Unit (CRU) within the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has been diligently working to bring those responsible for the theft of AT&T telecommunications lines to justice.”
San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding – who represents District 4, the hardest-hit area in the county – thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its work in addressing the problem, and said that he viewed the grant as an opportunity to prevent these crimes from happening in the future.
“I want to thank the CRU team and Sheriff Withrow for their commitment to investigate and pursue these criminals,” said Ding. “They defend our residents and property against these destructive acts.
“With this investment from AT&T, we will be able to further protect private property owners in San Joaquin County against this threat.”
The check presentation will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. at The Fruit Bowl – a business located at 8767 E. Waterloo Road in Stockton that has been forced to shut down multiple times in the last year due to copper wire thefts.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
