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Show Vandalism costly to Ma Bell Customers customer who suffers the most." He estimated losses this year to date from vandalism and theft have exceeded $40,000. More important, however, than the dollar loss incurred - a cost which must ultimately be shouldered by the consumer - is the interruption of service or the delay in establishing new service. ser-vice. Soderberg cited an example in the Payson area when a junction terminal box was blown apart by a homemade bomb. "It was probably just a prank to those involved." he said, "but to the 100 subscribers who were left without service for a time, it could have been much more Vandalism and theft costs the telephone company and its customers in Utah thousands of dollars each year and can result in the interruption of existing service or a delay in establishing new service, according to Mountain Bell's security chief. A. Perry Soderberg, security supervisor for the Utah division of Mountain Bell, stated that malicious vandalism and theft of equipment accounts for a significant loss to the telephone company and its customers each year. "Customers have a big stake in trying to reduce such losses," He explained, "because every time vandalism occurs, it's the VANDALS STRIKE. This Mountain Bell tractor was destroyed by vandals while parked by the side of the road near Logan. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment is destroyed each year in Utah by vandalism, a cost which is ultimately paid by the customer. The destruction was compounded com-pounded because much of the cable was laid before the bullet holes were discovered so it had to be pulled out and new cable reordered. Mountain Bell has an ongoing program to recover and recycle the wire, thieves sometimes beat the company to it. Thanks in rlnco nnnnArntinn People who rightfully expected telephone service in early September, were forced to wait an additional six weeks because of the vandalism. Much of the destruction is senseless. Near Logan, two men poured gasoline over a telephone company tractor parked near the roadside and set fire to it. The two were eventually caught, but the damage was done. Copper telephone wire is an attractive target for thieves, especially in remote areas. While between law enforcement agencies and company security personnel, wire thieves are often caught. Recently, in Box Elder County, three teenage thieves were caught, convicted and fined for wire theft. In addition to possible federal penalties, under Utah law persons per-sons caught intentionally destroying public utility property are subject to a $1,000 fine and one-year imprisonment, Soderberg pointed out. |