Private detective Mark Stephens shows the copper inside the wiring that thieves steal from new homes under construction. Stephens is hired by Houston homebuilders and is on trial of criminals who rip off the copper from AC units and electrical wiring in new homes on Wednesday, March 23, 2011, in Cypress. ( Mayra Beltran / Chronicle ) (Photo by Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – In a disturbing trend that’s both dangerous and deeply cruel, copper wire thefts are leaving elderly residents in South Los Angeles without working phone lines—cutting them off from family, medical alert systems, and emergency services.
For months, 92-year-old Mable Bush’s landline, which she’s had for nearly 50 years, simply didn’t work. She could only be reached through a caregiver’s cellphone. AT&T later confirmed the reason: copper thieves had stripped the lines supplying Bush’s home, disabling her landline and the cameras monitoring her for safety.
Bush is far from alone. Her neighbor across the street had the same issue, as did multiple members of Dudley’s church in Compton and South L.A. While service was eventually restored to Bush’s home after Dudley contacted a local news station, the damage—both emotional and financial—was already done. Bush, who had been on auto-pay, continued to get charged $124 a month for a non-functioning landline. The family only received gift cards as compensation after Dudley intervened.
Another victim, 72-year-old Cora Brown, also lost her landline to copper theft last fall. She said she made repeated calls to AT&T, with no answer, and finally stopped paying her bill after months of silence.
AT&T acknowledged the growing copper theft problem in South L.A., a region home to nearly 300,000 residents. “Theft and vandalism of critical communications infrastructure are serious matters,” a company spokesperson said. “We’re working closely with public safety to combat copper theft.”
In 2024, the L.A. City Council formed a task force with LAPD and the Bureau of Street Lighting. Since then, 82 arrests have been made, and over 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire has been recovered. Still, repair costs have already surpassed $17 million, and outages continue.
Consumer advocates say the problem is compounded by AT&T’s ongoing push to phase out landline services altogether. The company recently tried—and failed—to eliminate its obligation to provide basic phone service statewide. Critics say the company is dragging its feet on repairs to make landlines appear obsolete.
“There are thousands of Californians going through this,” said Regina Costa of the Utility Reform Network. “These women are the canaries in the coal mine.”
Some people in their 80s or 90s don’t have someone to back them up or advocate for their rights. No phone service could be the difference between life and death.
AT&T is now offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to copper cable theft arrests. Anyone with information can call AT&T Global Security at (800) 807-4205.
