TOWN OF WALLKILL – For the fifth time, bandits have hit Frontier Communications’ telephone lines.

Some 900 feet of copper cable were cut from telephone poles in the Bloomingburg exchange (845-733) sometime after midnight early on Friday morning.

Since late last year, bandits have cut copper cables from locations on Route 211 in Wallkill, Route 17 in Goshen and at locations in Walden and Maybrook.

This time, seven sections of cable were stolen off the poles on Orange County Road 76 (old Route 17M) between Prosperous Valley Road/Shawangunk Road and Gillen Road.  Telephone service was interrupted Friday morning for approximately 105 customers.   Frontier crews are on site and working to restore service to the area by 7 p.m.

Town of Wallkill Police were notified and are investigating this incident.  When the person(s) who is responsible for this damage is found, Frontier will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

“This kind of vandalism continues to impact our industry.  Again, we ask that anyone who saw any behavior that might be connected with this event call our company’s Security Hotline, 1-800-590-6605.   This toll free line is staffed around the clock.  All calls will be handled in a confidential manner. Anonymous information will also be accepted,” said Debbie Bogdanski, Frontier’s general manager.

“Frontier needs the public’s help to keep an eye out for suspicious activities around utility poles, our pedestals and boxes, remote terminals and central offices in order to ensure that our communications services remain intact,” she said. “Our concern is not only leaving the public unprotected with no communications service, including access to 9-1-1, but there’s also the danger involved with untrained individuals working near power and telephone wires.”

The phone company continues to offer a $2,500 reward for credible information that directly leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever has committed the acts of vandalism.