With the skyrocketed cases of copper theft throughout Texas, Dallas law enforcement leaders met today for a discussion with AT&T.
The Dallas-based telecommunications giant saw $4-million worth of copper theft last year in Texas alone.
"You have a lot of senior citizens who get their healthcare over that copper line, sometimes a fiber line," Michael Peterson with AT&T said.
Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot helped put together recently-passed legislation making it easier to prosecute criminals who steal copper. He says there are more victims than just the huge corporations.
"If something is stolen and it shuts down, for example, Internet, or it shuts down communications to a critical infrastructure facility, to the police, to 911, things like that, then we are left in a void for servicing the citizens of the community," Creuzot said.
He says the new law brings all existing aspects of enforcement into one package that makes it clearer for prosecutors to make their case.