GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Thieves stripping copper from telephone cables have caused roughly $750,000 in damage to Brightspeed lines across East Tennessee, leaving rural customers without phone service they rely on in emergencies.
Greene County has been hit hardest. Ten major thefts there have knocked out service in communities including Fall Branch and Chuckey. The sheriff’s department says North Greene, Limestone and Caney Branch have also seen copper cut from Brightspeed cable lines in recent weeks, and neighboring counties are reporting the same kind of thefts.
Investigators say the thieves work late at night, using bucket trucks and extension ladders to strip sections of wire up to 700 feet long. The stolen metal is then sold to scrap yards and recycling facilities.
One theft reported last week on Houston Valley Road in Greeneville took about 900 feet of copper wire strung along five poles. A company employee estimated the damage from that single cut at about $20,000, according to the sheriff’s report, and multiple households in the area lost service.
Officials warn the outages are more than an inconvenience. For residents who still depend on a landline, a cut cable can mean no way to call for an ambulance or reach a doctor.
The thefts are happening mainly late at night or early in the morning. Anyone who sees what looks like tree trimming or line work on the cables during those hours is asked to call the Greene County Sheriff’s Department at 423-798-1800 and press 1 for dispatch, or the non-emergency line at 423-638-8663. Anyone with information about the thefts can reach the department’s investigators at 423-798-1800 ext. 1515.
