The theft of copper communications wire is endangering 911 service and other emergency response systems across Colorado, as thieves target infrastructure in Denver and beyond in search of quick profits, according to policymakers and industry representatives.

At the state Capitol, legislators have responded by passing a bill aimed at cracking down down on the sale of stolen metals used in critical infrastructure.

While signing the legislation, Gov. Jared Polis said it would deter individuals from selling stolen metal.

“Theft of any kind is unacceptable and this new law will help protect Colorado’s infrastructure. This will help keep our trains running, homes heated, and buildings safe. By signing this bill into law today, Colorado is cracking down on crime to prevent copper wire theft, and keep our communities safe,” Polis said in a statement.

But others have expressed worries about people who legally collect scrap materials and who rely on the immediate cash from selling it to buy food or pay for rent.

Meanwhile, one company is now deploying GPS trackers in materials at risk of getting stolen.

This followed a move by Denver last year to add rules on the buying and selling of scrap metals, including a ban on cash payments.

Copper thieves have increasingly been targeting infrastructure lines, officials said.

In Denver, copper theft has caused prolonged landline outages in southeast neighborhoods.

Colorado Springs, meanwhile, has seen the highest concentration of incidents, with more than 40 cases early this year resulting in more than $440,000 in damages and impacts to more than 4,100 customers.

Denver metro activity has risen rapidly since April, according to local news reports and officials of a communications company.

Statewide, Lumen Technologies — formerly CenturyLink — reported 99 incidents of copper wire theft in early 2026, causing about $680,000 in damages. The company documented 78 incidents for all of 2025.

Michael Griffith, senior security professional with Lumen Technologies, said the thefts disrupt essential services for homes, businesses, nursing homes and government operations.

“It affects just about everybody,” Griffith told The Denver Gazette. “It affects nursing homes. It affects emergency services and being able to make phone calls to police to 911.”

Griffith described the thefts as “an easy payday for criminals and thieves that do this,” driven by rising copper prices and a ready market for stolen goods.

Lumen is now deploying GPS trackers inside cables and covert cameras at high-risk locations, while sharing data in real time with law enforcement.

Company officials are urging the public to report suspicious activity around pedestals or utility poles.

The Regional Transportation District has also been hit hard.

In late April, thieves stole copper wire along the G Line in multiple incidents, including about 14 feet near Pecos Junction Station, causing service disruptions. RTD Transit Police are seeking public help identifying suspects.

The Colorado General Assembly recently enacted House Bill 26-1101, which prohibits the sale of a “commodity metal” used in critical infrastructure, such as telecom and utility networks, unless certain regulatory requirements are met.

The measure targets scrap metals and aims to reduce the market for stolen wire — similar to laws passed after a wave of catalytic converter thefts.

The legislation adds specific criminal offenses related to critical infrastructure metals, updates record-keeping requirements for dealers and requires greater scrutiny of sales involving wire with evidence, such as burned-off insulation.

Under the new law, a junk shop or salvage yard can no longer pay cash for those metals unless the person selling it is paid through a process in which a picture is recorded or the transaction is worth less than $300.

Buyers must also have an affidavit from sellers, in addition to requiring the former to report to authorities if they inadvertently bought such materials. The failure to report such a transaction would result in a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the value of the goods.

Additionally, junk shop owners must make their books available to law enforcement upon request.

In Denver, sponsors of the new ordinance earlier said it mirrors the city’s current rules for the sales of used catalytic converters and aims to make it more difficult for thieves to sell scrap metals, notably copper, brass and aluminum.

The Denver rules also require junk dealers to meet additional requirements, such as maintaining detailed records of transactions and recording driver’s license numbers and license plate numbers before accepting or purchasing scrap metal using traceable forms of payment, such as a credit card.

Like the Colorado law, junk dealers must also permit the city to review all transaction logs — subject to civil penalties for non-compliance.

Opponents of the measure had argued that the ban on cash payments harms homeless people, individuals without bank accounts, and those who collect and sell scrap metal to pay rent and buy food.

Supporters, meanwhile, said said the city is not banning the sale of common recyclables, such as aluminum cans, but rather targeting the “underground economy” that incentivizes the theft of high-value materials, adding that cash-based transactions make it nearly impossible to track stolen materials.

Partly driving the theft is the high price of copper.

Copper prices began a sharp climb in late 2025, rising more than 30% into 2026 amid strong demand from data centers, electric vehicles and renewable energy projects, fueling the surge in thefts, according to industry reports and market data.

Nationally, communications providers reported more than 15,500 theft and vandalism incidents from mid-2024 to mid-2025, disrupting service for more than 9.5 million customers.