…company pleads with residents to be its ‘eyes and ears’ to stop the theft
OFFICIALS of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) are calling on residents to be more vigilant, following the continued vandalism of telephone cables across the country. GT&T’s Head of Security, Edgar Blackman, said yesterday that the company continues to suffer millions of dollars in losses as a result of this.
On a visit to several areas in ‘B’ Field and Block ‘E’ Sophia, yesterday, where large sections of cables were cut and stolen, he appealed to residents to be on the lookout for the thieves.
“We have seen a huge increase in vandalism this year; so far this year, there have been 26 instances of cable theft; it costs the company millions to repair these cables.
“We have seen, for the past week, nine instances in the B Field and Block E Sophia. It is in the interest of all persons who live in these areas to call 911 or GT&T on our emergency line and inform us when they see persons suspiciously lurking around these cables,” Blackman said.
Blackman said the fact that residents in the areas mostly affected seem unconcerned and refuse to report cases of vandalism remains a concern, as they are seen as GT&T’s “eyes and ears”.
He said, “We are concerned that the people in these areas seem not to pay attention to what is going on; they are affected by the cable cuts and we are expecting that they act as our eyes and ears, to protect our cables. Just last week we had a report from one resident who was afraid to go to the police.”
Blackman said the GT&T has deployed nightly patrols in the vulnerable areas and will work along with the Neighbourhood Policing Groups to curb these wanton acts of vandalism.

Copper Trade
Blackman attributed the recent upsurge in the theft of the cables to the resuscitation of the scrap metal trade, following a ban announced by the Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
He noted that while the government has made efforts to control the trade in the past, there is need for harsher penalties for persons caught stealing cables.
He has suggested that a committee be set up with representatives from companies most affected to re-examine ways of controlling the scrap metal trade.
“We need to have some input. In addition, there needs to be a review of the laws as well, so that persons will be deterred from stealing the cables,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the company’s engineer responsible for the Sophia area, Errol Farley, said the problem is not confined to the Sophia area, and he too stressed the call for more vigilance on the part of the residents.
He said, “Those responsible would climb the post and get the cable, and remove the copper worth millions, all over B Field Sophia, without any one seeing anything. There is no way to know when the cable is being removed, only if one sees and reports.
Recently vandalism has affected at least 75 persons in Area B.
GT&T’s Public Relations Officer, Ms Allison Parker, explained that if the communities cannot be vigilant and protect the cables, then the company will have no choice but to leave the cables as they are, and leave the community without a telephone service.
Appeal
One concerned resident, Louis Jordan, appealed to the community to act responsibly and report cases, as this is in the best interest of all who reside there
“If we are without the service, we will be seriously hampered in cases of emergencies, or if people get sick. We would like to know that we can pickup the telephone and call for help, to be able to communicate.”
The GT&T team also visited areas in Plum Park, where vandals had removed more than 210 meters of cable.
Metal thieves continue to target the critical insulated copper cable used by GT&T to provide its landline telephone service.