Police: Copper Thieves Stealing Power Lines in Kentucky

Police in eastern Kentucky say copper thieves have been cutting power lines and creating an electrocution risk for themselves and anyone walking near the poles.

Letcher County Sheriff Danny Webb told The Mountain Eagle that thieves have taken neutral conductor and ground wires in Little Cowan, Thornton and other areas in the county.

Kentucky Power spokesman Ronn Robinson says

Webb warned that scrap metal dealers believed to be buying the stolen copper will be investigated.

Webb said representatives with Kentucky Power, a subsidiary of Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power, have records of power lines being cut as far back as November.

Kentucky Power spokesman Ronn Robinson says cutting the lines can lead to outages and replacing the lines can eventually cause rate increases.