Charter Communications has renewed its call for tougher legal penalties in cases involving sabotage attempts on its telecommunications network after suffering from a spike in acts of vandalism on its system in Missouri.
In a press release on Monday, Charter called the vandalism spree in Missouri an act of “domestic terrorism,” a term usually reserved for law enforcement investigations that involve property damage or loss of life with specific political or religious motivation.
Charter’s use of the term is intended to drum up public and political support for tougher laws that impose stronger criminal penalties on individuals and groups who deliberately sabotage their networks, two sources confirmed to The Desk. Earlier this month, Charter first used the term “domestic terrorism” to refer to a vandalism spree involving its network in Van Nuys, California, which disrupted residential, business and first responder telecom services.
When pressed by The Desk for more information about the California case, a Charter spokesperson said the company was not connecting the vandalism to strong public opposition to then-ongoing immigration raids being conducted by federal law enforcement authorities. In early June, President Donald Trump activated the California National Guard — without permission from the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom — to protect federal buildings in the Los Angeles area. A California National Guard post is located in Van Nuys.
Likewise, Charter did not provide a motivation for the vandalism cases in Missouri, but it did say the cases had increased 200 percent this month when compared to the same time period last year. The precise number of incidents involving vandalism and sabotage was not released by the company.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies continue to look for a motive in the Missouri vandalism, and no suspects have been identified, according to a police source familiar with the case. Police and federal investigators have not ruled out terrorism as a motivating factor.
“These attacks are more than mere acts of vandalism; they are disrupting access to critical emergency services and creating potentially life-threatening situations,” said Chris Crocker, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Field Office in St. Louis. “Combating this threat requires a coordinated effort, and we urge the public to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. Together, we can help bring those responsible for endangering public safety to justice.”
A source said the FBI was not told that Charter intended to label the Missouri cases as domestic terrorism, and found out after the press release was issued Monday morning.
Charter is one of several telecom providers that backs an initiative called “Protect Critical Communications Infrastructure,” (Protect CCI) which includes trade organizations CTIA, NCTA the Internet & Television Association and U.S. Telecom. Data from Protect CCI shows telecom-related vandalism cases grew to more than 6,000 last year; some of those cases involve Charter’s equipment and network.
Missouri, where Charter has suffered from nearly 150 acts of vandalism this year alone, is one of more than two dozen states that criminalizes telecom-related vandalism as a felony. But Charter says those state laws are not enough — the company is hoping for federal legislation that imposes the same tough penalties on a national level.
“Our teams work tirelessly to provide the highest level of service and reliability to our customers and these [felonious,] criminal attacks cause outages that go far beyond the inconvenience of lost connectivity,” said Tom Monaghan, the Executive Vice President of Field Operations for Charter. “The impact is that of domestic terrorism, cutting off access to critical services, preventing vital communications during times of emergency and crisis, creating a pervasive and persistent threat to families and businesses in Missouri and across the country. This criminal activity must not be allowed to continue. We need the continued support of law enforcement, an increased commitment to prosecuting the criminals behind these attacks, and help from the public by reporting suspicious activity when they see it.”
