Quincy copper thieves steal phone lines, knock out service
By Beth Germano - WBZ-TVQUINCY (CBS) – Police in Quincy are dealing with a kind of copper theft they haven’t seen before. Someone cut the copper telephone wires from two utility poles in the city; working lines that service Verizon customers. One of the customers, Cheryl Percy who owns Miller photography studio on Foster Street, lost telephone service for several hours.
"We didn’t have any idea why the phone wasn’t ringing. “We thought ‘what’s happening here,’” she said.
Police say thieves cut through plastic sheathing to get at the valuable copper wires. They allegedly cut off a four-foot section, exposing 300 pairs of wires. Quincy police Sgt. Patrick Faherty says the vandals hope to make some quick cash, but it’s risky for a quick return.
“It appears to be a crime of opportunity in that sense, and from a public safety perspective, we are concerned that people treat any electrical wire as if it’s live,” he said.
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