For those of you interested in a "from the ground" report, read here :
http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/08/vandals_try_to_download_copper.html
Somebody used a chainsaw on a cable at Euclid & 65th (a mostly abandoned industrial area).
The roll of replacement cable was subsequently found to be damaged by gunfire (it'd only take one shot to a spool to ruin the entire lot). No indication that this happened in conjunction with the first incident.
The local cops are calling it a case of "dumb criminal", specifically that someone thought there was copper in the line (yes, they rip it right off poles here -- and sometimes, even try to climb the fence at a substation -- with interesting results) :
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/13946673/detail.html
Cheers,
Michael Holstein CISSP GCIA
Cleveland State University