Scrappers may have caused loss of AT&T service in west Detroit

Some FOX 2 viewers in Detroit said they lost phone and internet service, and they tell us they know why.

An AT&T service box in the Warrendale neighborhood on Detroit's west side may have been a target of scrap thieves.

Neighbors said the cover plate was stolen at Minock and Sawyer. Copper wiring was exposed and some of the wires may also have been stripped. A panel of drywall appears to have been placed at the box to protect the remaining electronics.They said many elderly rely on land line telephones and now they dont have the service for communication and emergency calls.

"This past Monday, scrappers stole the cover plate," a neighbor said. "I called and reported it to AT&T and they said someone would be out in one to two days. This is day six. No one has come to put the cover plate back on."

AT&T told FOX 2 they have been out on-scene to repair the severed landline and are planning to replace the missing cover.