POWERGRAMS

FINANCIAL Security, Accounting pull plug on electric thieves, recoup $1 million Trying to bypass electric meters is dangerous for customer and others. Cops and accountants don't always make for the most interesting "buddy movie," but this is exactly the sort of partnership that is garnering rave reviews in metro Birmingham. The skill sets are coming together to find criminals who steal electricity straight from the grid and recover the revenue lost through theft. As long as there have been power lines and power poles, there have been people who try to tap directly in and bypass meters. Not only does this freeloading wreak havoc on equipment, it is a danger to those who steal power and anyone near tampered equipment, said Corporate Security Investigator Scott Stover. "It's dangerous for them and it's dangerous for us," Stover said. "The theft is one issue that deserves attention on its own, but the potential for someone to get badly injured is scary. The more we shut these criminals down, the less likely others are to try it." Power theft is a problem for every electric utility, but investigators in Alabama Power's Birmingham Division have adapted their response to meet the challenges. The changes in tactics and procedures have resulted in the recovery of more than $1 million in the past 18 months. "The recovery of that money is important, but it goes further than that," said Accounting Manager Don Nichols. "When word gets out that we aren't just sitting back and letting this happen, it cuts down on even more power theft." Without revealing specifics, the working relationship between Accounting and Corporate Security is essential. The partnership has streamlined the identification of suspected power leeches, and made the investigation and eventual prosecution more rapid and successful. Nichols reshuffled his staff to make fraud investigations a priority. Customer Service Representative Jessica Mathis compares usage patterns to billing records, to find places where power theft is likely happening. Customer Service Inspectors Tracy Horton and Robert Rice follow those leads, in some cases walking along power lines looking for irregularities. It's not ON THE COVER: Alabama Power employees throughout company history have proudly served their nation. Some of those veterans tell their story in this issue. 2 uncommon to see Corporate Security Investigators Sam Causey or Paul Johnson walking alongside the inspectors. "We've found that working directly together, we've gotten rid of some of the bottlenecks that might have slowed down an investigation," Nichols said. The team has optimized every part of the process, including streamlining how information is turned over to law enforcement. However, the real success of the program is that more than 90 percent of the cases they investigate end with the customer avoiding prosecution by agreeing to pay Alabama Power for the stolen electric service. The problem will never really go away, Stover said. "Over the years, criminals just get smarter about getting around the meter," he said. "We'll just keep getting smarter, too." By Ike Pigott

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