Embarq boosts copper-theft reward

staff report

WARREN — The Embarq Corp. hopes to help bring copper-cable thieves to justice by expanding its Warren theft reward to all of Trumbull County and increasing its reward from $1,000 to $5,000.

The reward will be given to citizens offering information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of anyone stealing the company’s live traffic-carrying cable, primarily copper cable.

The company first offered the rewards in Las Vegas and Warren in 2007 and expanded them last year to include Houston.

“Copper theft continues to be a serious problem industrywide,” said Theresa Brick, public affairs manager at Embarq. “Copper theft is not only a financial drain on Embarq. It also puts the entire community at risk of losing 911 and other emergency communications if those lines are cut by the copper thieves,” Brick said.

Anyone who has information regarding the theft of traffic-carrying copper cable is asked to call Detective Jolene Marcello with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department at (330) 675-4039. People can also call 911 if they see a cable theft in progress.

Marcello says the cable being taken is the type that is strung from telephone poles.

Brick notes that stealing cable doesn’t come without risks to the thieves. Aside from the potential for arrest, there have been dozens of reports nationwide of copper thieves being electrocuted when they mistakenly cut into electrical wires while attempting to steal copper cable.