Although Mediacom, Ames’ local cable provider, regularly airs commercials denouncing cable theft, police say cable theft does not pose a significant problem in Ames.

Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson said his department has not received any reports of cable theft in the area.

“I can’t think of anyone we’ve arrested [for cable theft],” Robinson said.

Robinson said cable theft would be classified as theft of services and the penalty would depend on how long the illegal cable connection was in use.

Although cable theft is uncommon, it can be classified as a felony if the theft was in the first degree and took place over a long period of time, he said.

Ames Police Patrol Cmdr. Randy Kessel said he believes most people are dissuaded from stealing cable.

“I think people are aware of what the ramifications are,” he said.

John Shertzer, residence life coordinator, said there is not even the potential threat of cable theft in residence halls since cable television is provided in students’ living packages.

Steve Purcell, regional vice president for Mediacom Cable Services, said Mediacom is constantly performing cable TV audits to ensure only paying customers are receiving their services.

Only 6 percent of those audited are found to be illegally obtaining cable services, Purcell said.

Although the percentage of cable theft is relatively low, Mediacom regularly airs two different cable theft commercials to help prevent potential cases of cable theft, Purcell said. He added it can also serve as a reminder to people.

“There are some circumstances where the commercials will cause some people who have recently moved into a house or an apartment, where cable was already hooked up, to call and confirm their service,” he said.

If someone is found to be obtaining cable illegally, the occupant is notified and the cable service is disconnected immediately, Purcell said. A follow-up visit is made one to two weeks after the initial discovery to ensure the service is still disconnected. If the service is found to be back on, the occupant is turned over to police, Purcell said.

“The cable theft situations are usually handled on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

New York-based Mediacom is the largest cable TV provider in Iowa, having over 500,000 subscribers, Purcell said.