Copper Stolen from a Cell Tower May Cost $10K to Replace

A Sprint contractor reported grounding wires, copper plates and two 80-pound spools of wire stolen from the cell tower in the 500-block of Moose Hill Road on April 19. Though the value of the equipment is estimated at $1,500, the estimate the contractor gave for replacement and installation is closer to $10,000, according to police.

Police said the theft took place sometime between 4 p.m. on April 15 and 8:30 a.m. on the 16th, when the contractor noticed the lock on the gate had been cut and the site was vandalized.

It took three days before the contractor reported the incident, because police said the tower is owned by SBA Communications which leases space to T-Mobil, Sprint, AT&T and other carriers, so every company had to be contacted first to confirm the theft took place rather than the site having been disturbed while one of them performed work there.