The Bulletin
Men's Weekly


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Copper theft is hitting building sites, street lights – and now phones. How do we stop it?

  • Written by Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Bond University
Copper theft is hitting building sites, street lights – and now phones. How do we stop it?Liz Minchin/The Conversation, CC BY

From causing a major phone outage to shutting down street lights across parks, suburbs and roads, copper theft has become a clear public safety risk.

Last week, Optus said a phone and mobile data outage that affected more than 14,000 people across south-east Melbourne was triggered by thieves trying to steal...

Read more: Copper theft is hitting building sites, street lights – and now phones. How do we stop it?