For those of you interested in a "from the ground" report, read here :
http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/08/vandals_try_to_download_copper.html
Somebody used a chainsaw on a cable at Euclid & 65th (a mostly abandoned
industrial area).
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=43.799322,73.476563&ie=UTF8&ll=41.504383,-81.645863&spn=0.00127,0.002242&t=h&z=19&om=1
The roll of replacement cable was subsequently found to be damaged by
gunfire (it'd only take one shot to a spool to ruin the entire lot). No
indication that this happened in conjunction with the first incident.
The local cops are calling it a case of "dumb criminal", specifically
that someone thought there was copper in the line (yes, they rip it
right off poles here -- and sometimes, even try to climb the fence at a
substation -- with interesting results) :
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/13946673/detail.html
Cheers,
Michael Holstein CISSP GCIA
Cleveland State University