Cox Communications and Silent Witness are partnering up to gather information from the community on a series of battery theft and vandalism, according to a release.

Cox Communications says it has seen an uptick in battery theft and vandalism to utility and network cabinets located in Valley neighborhoods. In the past 18 months, more than 600 cabinets have been broken into, causing damage, loss of property and potentially interruptions to services for customers in the impacted neighborhoods, the release states.

Utility/network cabinets are in neighborhoods, alleys and alongside buildings. Cox is asking residents who, particularly after dark, see suspicious activity around unmarked vehicles near these utility cabinets to call Silent Witness at 480-948-6377. Also helpful are any photos taken using a cell phone. Calls are anonymous and can lead to a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the apprehension of individual(s) who are responsible and/or recovery of the batteries.

“When theft and damage occur, it affects everyone. When a customer’s services go down, they lose their ability stay connected via the internet and can lose phone service, which can impact phone 911 service,” stated Susan Anable, Cox Southwest Vice President for Public Affairs.  “This damage and theft is not just a crime against Cox, it can impact the surrounding neighborhood. We appreciate the public’s assistance.”

The batteries weigh about 65 pounds and are slightly larger than car batteries, according to the release.