Stockton, CA – San Joaquin District Four Supervisor Steve Ding and San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow will accept a $40,000 grant from AT&T to address the ongoing issue of copper wire theft in San Joaquin County. This grant will allow the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office to purchase technology to assist in putting an end to copper wire theft in San Joaquin County.

“Copper wire theft is a serious matter and affects public safety and the community at large. This year, San Joaquin County has been ground zero for copper wire theft and fiber optic cable damage,” commented Sheriff Withrow. “Since April 26, 2023, the Community Revitalization Unit (CRU) within the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has been diligently working to bring those responsible for the theft of AT&T telecommunications lines to justice.”

Already this year, 27 individuals have been identified and arrested for their role in the destruction of the County’s critical infrastructure of copper wire and fiber optic cables.

“I want to thank the CRU team and Sheriff Withrow for their commitment to investigate and pursue these criminals. They defend our residents and property against these destructive acts,” said Supervisor Ding, whose supervisorial district experienced unprecedented thefts in 2023. “With this investment from AT&T, we will be able to further protect private property owners in San Joaquin County against this threat.”

The check presentation will be held on Thursday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. at The Fruit Bowl, located at 8767 E Waterloo Rd in Stockton, CA. The Fruit Bowl has been forced to shut down multiple times in the last 6 to 8 months due to the high volume of copper wire thefts.

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San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding represents District 4 which includes the communities of Lodi, Woodbridge, Thornton, Linden, Lockeford, Clements, Acampo, Morada and East Stockton. The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of San Joaquin County and serves more than 779,000 residents. The Board establishes County policies, passes local ordinances, approves the budget, sets local tax rates, supports community programs, and provides many other essential services.