For for seven months, residents of Hacienda Heights have been without landline phone service due to a series of copper wire thefts, which has hindered communication and increased worries about their safety in an emergency. Mike Wiener, a homeowner, described the terrible effects of being cut off during a community meeting hosted by the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association. “If there’s a fire, a flood, a hurricane, an earthquake, we have no communication,” Wiener told CBS News Los Angeles.
The unreliable cell service makes landlines “our lifeline; it’s not just a landline,” Diana Arnold, a longtime resident of Hacienda Heights, explained. Arnold’s concerns were echoed to ABC7, especially considering the area’s vulnerability to wildfires. Arnold said that the neighborhood’s geography adds to the urgency of the situation. Additionally, problems contacting Frontier Communications were a frequent complaint; service outages continue even while consumers are still being charged, which just adds to the frustration of the community.
Frontier Communications, the local provider, is dealing with an unrelenting cycle of copper wire theft and repair for the phone lines, according to responses at the community meeting. In a statement provided to ABC7, the company’s spokesperson, Douglas McAllister, compared solving the problem to playing a game of “Whac-A-Mole.” McAllister brought up the possibility of switching from copper to fiber optic connection, which should discourage robberies because fiber is glass and has no resale value. However, safety standards prevent customers from being forced to transfer, leaving the infrastructure open to more thefts.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Frontier are collaborating closely. Frontier has offered a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the copper thieves. “If you see something, please say something,” McAllister encouraged residents during the community meeting, according to ABC7. As HHIA board member Ali Wiener notes the ongoing resurgence of theft after repair efforts, promises of action offer little solace to residents and businesses alike in the face of the real anxieties of isolation. This problem was detailed in an interview by KTLA.
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