7 On Your Side Investigates looks into how copper theft is affecting LA fire station landlines
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The crimes have been caught on video and they show just how brazen the thieves are.
They work in the middle of the night, cutting and ripping phone cables containing copper from poles, causing havoc in many neighborhoods.
Eyewitness News has told you about people who have not had AT&T landline phone service for months. Some of them depend on that service as their only form of communication, and for others, their medical alert services need landlines to work.
Now, ABC7 has learned some critical infrastructure is facing the same problem. A number of fire stations across Southern California haven't had AT&T landline phone service for months.
7 On Your Side Investigates went knocking on doors at a number of fire stations in South Los Angeles, an area that's been greatly affected, according to viewers who have sent us emails.
What was found? Well, it's hit or miss.
Firefighters didn't want to be interviewed on camera, but told ABC7 that Station 46 hasn't had service for months and Station 21 hasn't had service since August. Station 64 and Station 57 both have service.
Sources told Eyewitness News the fire station at the Van Nuys Airport has been hit dozens of times.
An AT&T employee who spoke with ABC7 showed video of thieves taking copper wire near the airport.
So could this affect service in any way?
"As a department, we have sent a memo to all 106 neighborhood fire stations telling them that if they have any disruption in their business phone lines to contact our 911 Dispatch Center and they work to rectify it through the companies," explained Erik Scott with the Los Angeles Fire Department. "However, as technology changes and we're moving towards cellular in general, about 20 of our stations, we've moved them over to just that cellular platform."
AT&T issued a statement which said the reason those fire stations are having service issues is because of copper theft.
Firefighters at one station in South L.A. steered 7 On Your Side Investigates to a homeless encampment on South Avalon. They said they've gone there to put out fires because that's where copper is reportedly stripped and melted down.
On the side of the building, ABC7 found a pile of rubber conduits. Inside the conduits is where the copper cables would be located, but they've all been stripped out and they're just there, waiting to be taken away.
In a trashcan, all that's left is the plastic insulator. All the copper inside has been stripped out.
AT&T said it wants to withdraw from being the so called "carrier of last resort" and end its obligation to provide landline phone service across California.
"To put things plainly, our current carrier of last resort policy no longer reflects the reality of today's competitive communications landscape in California," said AT&T's Terri Nikole Baca at a state senate hearing last week.
State legislators voted in favor of advancing a bill that could allow the company to do that.
7 On Your Side Investigates contacted AT&T for a comment about the landline disruptions.
A spokesperson said in part, "Copper theft and vandalism of critical communications infrastructure are serious criminal matters that disrupt services for our customers, public safety, and the community at large. We're actively working with local law enforcement as they are investigating to find those responsible."
