The good news is catalytic converter thefts are way down. The bad news is they have been replaced by copper thefts. “Copper is becoming more of a necessity. And it continues to increase in its value,” Derek Tolliver, Lead Investigator for AT&T told KCUR.
The telecommunications company has seen thieves dig up and cut down its cables looking for the metal. Texas and California are the biggest hot spots for stolen AT&T copper wire.
Missouri is third.
Most of the Missouri thefts are in Kansas City, St. Louis and Joplin, he said.
Copper thefts have cost AT&T $40 million nationwide so far in 2025 and $2.2 million in Missouri, according to a company spokesman.
The company is offering $20,000 rewards for information in all three states.
Copper thefts — including air conditioners and copper pipe — are rising because the price of copper is soaring. The Trump Administration’s 50% tariff on all copper imports, imposed Aug. 1, contributed to the price spike. When the administration announced tariffs in July, copper spiked to a record high of $5.69 a pound.
In the last month, the price has settled at about $4.50 a pound, still about 25 cents more than a year ago.
While companies have moved to more fiber optic cable, plenty of telephone calls and internet service run through copper.
“When these thieves cut it down, you're disrupting that service not only for your average resident, but for businesses and for law enforcement,” Tolliver said.
The company is particularly worried about emergency communications. “It's a public safety risk and concern,” he said.
Two weeks ago, 911 calls in Arcadia, California were disrupted after a man stole 60 feet of underground copper wire.
Also last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia warned that copper wire theft has “caused disruptions to critical infrastructure and 9-1-1 emergency services for the public.” In a statement, the RCMP asked people to “say something if you see something,”
Last year, the Los Angeles City Council approved funding for a LAPD Copper Wire Task Force and rewards program. Cases in L.A. have increased tenfold in five years, according to reporting by LAist.
While copper thefts do not seem to have disrupted 911 service in the metro, police say it is a growing problem.
“We have made arrests for theft/damage to telecommunications locations and property, and we continue our efforts on many ongoing investigations,” Kansas City Police Department spokesman Capt. Jake Becchina said.
Thieves climb poles to take down the wire or drop into manholes to steal underground copper wire.
“And from there, they'll cut it up and burn it and then take it to a recycling center,” Tolliver said.
In December, Joel Chavez was charged in Jackson County with stealing 2,000 feet of copper wire valued at $50,000. Chavez was on a ladder with a grinder cutting the wire when police arrived, according to court documents.
KCPD said Chavez was armed with a pistol and had a bag of meth.
In March, Sugar Creek police arrested Christopher Elder for allegedly stealing $42,000 worth of copper wire from a business in River Bend, a village along 291 Highway just north of the Missouri River.
The Jackson County prosecutor charged Elder with one count of stealing and one count of property damage.
"Copper wire theft has become a serious problem that causes dangerous power outages and leaves businesses out of thousands of dollars,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said. “Our office is working closely with law enforcement to track repeat offenders and ensure they face appropriate consequences.”
Catalytic converter thefts were all the rage for years. But two years ago, they started to wane.
Catalytic converters reduce harmful emissions when car exhaust passes through a combination of palladium, rhodium and platinum — a trio of the most expensive metals on the planet. In the metal business these are known as platinum group metals, or PGMs.
But the price of the metals inside the converters has collapsed.
In addition, both Kansas City and Missouri have toughened scrap yard regulations.
The demand for copper in the U.S. is increasing. Electric vehicles need more copper wiring. But the biggest need is for AI data centers. Those sites need as much as 50,000 metric tons of copper.
While copper is mined in the U.S. — including about 600,000 tons annually in Missouri — it is a fraction of what the country needs. The remainder comes from imports or recycling, which keeps the price high – and attracts thieves.
