This cable thief paid the price

[HST Power]

Maybe they should use a similar marking system on the cables like they do in old churches, so that stolen property can instantly be recognised.

 

[HugePilchard]

They do; it's called Smartwater, but as a poster in another thread pointed out, if you chuck the cables in a fire (which apparently they do to remove the value-less insulation), you can say bye-bye to that.

Routine surveillance on the network is going to be a non-starter; how many miles of line would need to be covered? Intelligence lead surveillance and working to deplete the market for stolen copper is the only way this one will be won.

 

[Flamingo]

The focus needs to be on the scrapyards - no market, no incentive to steal. I understand that many yards have yet to implement systems where sellers have to produce ID and are automatically videotaped / photographed, as the yards themselves don't want to discourage "suppliers".