DALLAS — You've likely heard of air conditioner, catalytic converters, and car tire thefts.
Now?
The Dallas Police Department is warning you to look out for, yes, telephone pole copper thieves.
"They'll cut down the telephone wires to steal the copper wire that's inside of it," Detective Jamison Lewis said. "They'll burn the plastic coating or the paper coating off of it, then take it to a scrap metal yard and sell it with a copper wire inside of it."
Detective Lewis is working 11 open 'copper theft' cases.
Lots of people see the crime in action, but few realize they're witnessing a crime.
"Some of the suspects have been seen wearing the reflective vest and hard hat. So people don't think anything of it,” Lewis said.
But they should. Because just one cut wire can take out an entire neighborhood's internet, cable, and landline service for days.
"So, anybody that has a landline, they've now lost their ability to call 911," Detective Lewis said.
It's possible the crimes could cost someone their life. They also cost AT&T a lot of money.
From just one telephone pole to another, a cut wire costs the company anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.
"That's why we're here now, at this point, enlisting the public's help," Curtis McGruder, an investigator with AT&T's asset protection division, said.
McGruder can't tell yet how the thefts might impact consumer costs down the road.
"Because we're not at that point,” he said. “But everything has a cause and effect."
Odell Sneed's felt the effect of this crime more than once now. He told WFAA the telephone poles in his neighborhood have been cut twice now.
His internet's been down for the past five days.
"What would I say to them?" Sneed said of the thieves.
"I hope you're captured. And I hope you spend some time in jail. Real jail."
But Detective Lewis said her team can't make arrests without your help.
If you see anyone working on your telephone lines, even if they have a work vest and hard hat on, make sure they're in a marked vehicle, not a personal car or truck.
If they're not in a marked vehicle, call the police.
And if you have ring doorbell footage or any information on a suspected copper wire theft, call 214-671-0635.