LOS ANGELES—Rahdeese Alcutt, an AT&T investigator, once managed line repairs for the telecommunications company in this sprawling city. Now, he is the copper police.
Thieves have wreaked havoc in the area, prying open manholes, chipping away at asphalt and climbing trees and poles to cut and steal—and then resell—copper wires that transmit electrical signals for phone and internet lines.
Alcutt patrols the streets and relies on sensors and geotrackers to get alerts when the lines are being tampered with or removed. Information about some thefts is reported to an AT&T security hotline. He has even received tips from local gang members who are tired of their internet going out.
