Copper Thief Cuts 911 Service in Lake Worth

A person attempting to steal copper not only cut wires but also cut 911 services in Lake Worth.

The Lake Worth Police Department shared photos of cut wires on Friday they found inside a communications tower at an AT&T facility.

Police said a man broke into the tower with a pry bar looking for copper. The man was able to escape, but the police are actively looking for him.

The damage caused major communications issues and affected 911 service in the area.

AT&T was able to fix the problem quickly while Lake Worth reminded residents they can text 911 (see below) during an emergency.

#LWPDAlert // AT&T CELL SERVICE IMPACT. Suspect entered the tower and cut multiple wires, disabling the tower and service. @ATT technicians on scene working to restore, but due to the damage unknown restoration time. In emergencies, remember you can text 9-1-1! pic.twitter.com/05ntiKY4BG

— Lake Worth Police Department (@lakeworthpd) October 28, 2022

TEXT TO 911 SERVICE

Lake Worth is part of the Tarrant County 911 District.

In November 2020, the Tarrant County 911 District launched text-to-911 services as another option to get help in an emergency.

To text 911, enter 911 in the recipient box and enter the location or address of the emergency in the message box and hit send.

At this time, in Tarrant County, citizens cannot text photos, videos, and audio to 9-1-1. When texting 9-1-1, do not use emojis (emojis do not go through) or abbreviations as the 9-1-1 call-taker may not understand some abbreviations.