Fort Worth neighborhoods are losing internet service for weeks. Blame copper wire thieves.
Has your internet service been a little buggy lately? It may be because your cable line was snatched.
Fort Worth saw a 545% increase in reported AT&T cable theft and a 53% increase in metal theft overall between October 2020 and October 2024, according to a city report.
Thieves are targeting copper, which can fetch as much as $20 for a one-foot strand, Assistant Police Chief Robert Alldredge told Fort Worth City Council members on Tuesday.
Some neighborhoods in east Fort Worth have been without service for weeks, said Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, whose district was particularly hard hit by metal thefts.
This doesn’t just affect internet for social media and TikTok, Bivens said. It can also affect residents who rely on internet service for virtual doctors visits.
These thefts are impacting hospitals, post offices and every facet of life, said Sgt. Anthony White, who heads up the Fort Worth Police Department’s metal theft unit.
This is a problem affecting cities across the country, he said.
“Here in Fort Worth, we’re tired of it.”
Fort Worth police attributed the increase to a crack down on catalytic converter thefts after the Texas legislature passed legislation in 2023.
The department has partnered with AT&T and Spectrum to lobby lawmakers to pass similar legislation this year.
Officers are working with metal recycle yards to crack down on thefts, White said, noting operators are eager to cooperate.
AT&T’s lead investigator Curtis Mcgruder told the council his company is offering a $10,000 reward for information on cable thefts.
There were 250 arrests across the Metroplex in 2024, Mcgruder said. Most of those were in Dallas County, but thieves may start moving west, he said.
“If you see something, say something,” White said. “If someone is climbing up a pole to cut a wire, report it.”
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