Waitematā Police are warning about a rise in thefts targeting telecommunications infrastructure, power cables and electrical substations. The offences often happen overnight. Offenders sometimes pose as legitimate workers to avoid suspicion.
Detective Sergeant Luke Blignaut of the Waitematā Tactical Crime Unit says the harm goes beyond stolen copper.
Damage to power and telecommunications networks can leave homes and businesses without essential services. It can also put people at risk if they rely on electricity or internet-connected medical devices.
Real disruption in Swanson, Massey and Henderson Valley
Police describe several recent cases:
- Internet lines supplying a school in Swanson were deliberately cut. During a medical emergency involving a student, staff could not immediately access the student's medical information through the school's online system. The information had to be retrieved manually from local servers, delaying help by about 20 minutes.
- A damaged fibre cable left more than 3,100 households and businesses across West Auckland without internet. Police say the outage affected over 10,000 people in the Swanson and Massey areas.
- An 80-year-old Henderson Valley resident who lives rurally and relies on copper telecommunications lost all connectivity for a month after infrastructure was repeatedly targeted. Police say that left the resident isolated and without a reliable way to contact emergency help during that period.
The law
Stealing telecommunications assets and power cables carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment, Police say.
It is also an offence for scrap metal dealers to buy telecommunications or power infrastructure materials if they know — or are reckless as to whether — the material was unlawfully obtained. Police say they are working with scrap dealers and telecoms providers to identify stolen materials and cut off the profit.
What to do if something looks wrong
If you see people working on power lines, telecommunications cables, roadside cabinets or substations and something does not seem right:
- Do not intervene.
- Note details from a safe distance.
- Call 111 if it is happening now.
- Call 105 after the fact.
- You can also tip Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Keeping a household ready for outages matters for more than copper theft. Practical preparedness themes show up in other living guides on the site, including how to enrol with a GP so medical records are not only online, and rock fishing safety tips for other West Auckland coastal risks.
Rural and semi-rural pockets of West Auckland that still rely on copper lines are especially exposed. When those lines are cut repeatedly, landline and some broadband services disappear together — which is what left the Henderson Valley resident without a way to call for help.
If your household depends on a medical alert device, a monitored alarm, or online access to health records, talk to your provider about what happens during an outage and keep offline copies of critical medical information where staff or family can find them.
Neighbours noticing the same van or the same "contractor" working on cabinets at odd hours should treat that as information for Police, not a confrontation. The scrap market is part of the incentive; reporting suspicious sales helps close that loop too.
Police are urging the public to report suspicious activity around cabinets and lines before the next outage hits another street.
Sources: New Zealand Police, Cutting the connection: Police warn copper thieves (6 November 2026), Waitematā.