Thieves steal from ABQ power lines

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - It has been  happening all over the state and eventually neighborhoods could lose power because of it.

Thieves have been trying to make a quick buck by stripping power poles and selling the wire for its copper.

Every power pole within a mile-long stretch of Rio Grande had a wire missing. Dozens of the loose wires were dangling just feet above sidewalks and homes.

"Our yard person was working right there and he didn't even notice it," said Lee Gruger, who lives off of Rio Grande. The wire is hanging over her yard.

A neighbor noticed them two weeks ago and they still remain how they were.

Since January of 2011, PNM has repaired 2,500 of these wires around the state after thieves cut and stripped them.

When asked why some wires were still hanging Valerie Smith, a PNM spokesperson, replied that they are most likely the neutrals.

Smith says the wires were "ground wires" and whoever cut them knew that a current only runs through them during storms. The neutral wires prevent a power outage when a lightening bolt hits the pole.

The thieves also cut some power lines. Those were repaired quickly.

"These thieves are not only putting their own lives at risks, they're putting the reliability of the system at risk," said Smith.

PNM says none of the hanging lines in the Rio Grande neighborhood are live, but the electric company wants people to assume that any wire is dangerous. They recommend staying away from the loose wires.

"We've had these off and on storms and to see an open wire like that, it's concerning. It's very concerning," said Gruger.

PNM says crews are scheduled to fix the open, neutral wires over the next two weeks. They'll use a cheaper metal instead of copper to keep the thieves away.

PNM says since 2010, the cost of fixing all the damage the thieves have done to utility lines has topped a million dollars.