Telus lines have been targeted by cable thieves in Abbotsford, according to police, who say the crimes caused more than $100,000 in damage and prevented people from calling 911.

The Abbotsford Police Service, in a statement released Tuesday, said there has been a “slight increase” in these incidents in recent weeks.

“AbbyPD reminds Abbotsford residents that all Telus employees or contractors working on telecommunications overhead lines will operate vehicles and equipment that are fully identifiable to the organizations to which they belong,” the police statement said.

“AbbyPD encourages the public to report any suspicious activity on or near overhead telecommunications lines in their neighborhood to police.”

The department is appealing for dashcam video from the area of ​​the two most recent thefts. The dates, times and locations from which investigators request videos are:

• Thursday, October 17, between 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on McCallum Road, between McConnell and Vye Roads.
• Wednesday, October 23, between 4 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Sumas Mountain Road, between McKee and Dawson Roads.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by email at [email protected].