Two masked men broke into a Bladen County substation in April attempting to steal tools and equipment locked in trailers, located inside the substation. But Four County EMC was watching its substation remotely on a hidden camera system.

Bladen County police responded and the thieves fled on foot, leaving behind the some $3,500 in materials they had collected in the short time inside the substation.

The break-in to the substation to steal tools and equipment isn’t the only thing electric cooperatives and police are fighting. Thieves have also been breaking into substations to steal copper, sometimes causing power outages for thousands of members.

In addition to putting people in danger, thieves who steal tools, copper and brass cost co-ops thousands of dollars a year.

“Our investment in the substation cameras and lighting is paying off,” said Four County EMC CEO Mitchell Keel. “We will not tolerate anyone putting our members or employees in danger. We’ll keep using our security operations to bust the thieves.”

Citizens are encouraged to report any suspicious activity around electric system or equipment to 911 or their electric cooperative.