MANASSAS — In the sprawling data centre corridor of Northern Virginia, a surge in construction-site thefts is forcing the industry and law enforcement to rethink security. Loudoun County and Prince William County together form the largest data centre market in the world, a region that handles more than 70% of the world’s internet traffic. But as the pace of building accelerates to meet the demands of artificial intelligence, thieves have taken notice.
Prince William County Police Department reported that thefts at data centre construction sites rose by 40% in 2024 compared to the prior year. In one incident in 2024, copper wiring worth $100,000 was stolen from a site in Manassas, Virginia.
The high value of copper and equipment, combined with the rapid pace of construction, has made these sprawling sites attractive targets. The Virginia Data Center Association, an industry group, has called for increased law enforcement cooperation to combat the trend. The group has been pressing for better coordination, arguing that the thefts threaten construction timelines and raise costs.
For communities across the region, the issue touches on the reliability of the digital infrastructure that millions of people depend on every day. Virginia is home to major data centre operators including Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft, all of which are building new facilities specifically to support AI workloads.
The state’s data centre industry is a key economic driver, contributing billions of dollars to the local economy. But the rapid expansion has created conditions that thieves are eager to exploit.
Copper and cash — what drives the thefts
Copper wiring is the primary target, and its value on the scrap market has made it a staple of construction-site theft across the United States. In Northern Virginia, the concentration of data centre projects has created a dense target zone. A single site can contain miles of copper cable, and thieves often work quickly, stripping wiring from partially built structures before security can respond.
In the Manassas incident, the stolen copper was valued at $100,000, a sum that reflects both the volume of material and the purity of the wiring used in data centre construction. Such thefts can delay projects by weeks while replacements are ordered and installed, adding pressure to already tight construction schedules.
For families across the Asia-Pacific region who rely on cloud services hosted in Northern Virginia — from streaming video to remote work platforms — these disruptions can translate into slower updates or temporary outages. The region’s data centres are not just a local industry; they are a backbone of global connectivity.
A call for stronger partnerships
The Virginia Data Center Association has been vocal about the need for a coordinated response. The group has urged local police departments to share intelligence on scrap metal buyers and to increase patrols around construction sites during off-hours. Some operators have begun installing motion-activated cameras and hiring round-the-clock security guards, but the sheer number of active sites makes comprehensive coverage difficult.
Prince William County police have stepped up investigations, but the transient nature of construction crews and the ease with which stolen copper can be sold make arrests challenging. The 40% increase in thefts reported in 2024 underscores the scale of the problem.
Industry observers say the trend is likely to continue as long as copper prices remain high and construction activity stays at current levels. For the broader technology sector, the thefts are a reminder that the physical infrastructure of the digital age is vulnerable in ways that software security cannot address. The data centre boom in Northern Virginia shows no signs of slowing, and with it, the challenge of protecting these sites will only grow.
What happens in Loudoun and Prince William counties over the coming months will offer a test case for how the industry and law enforcement can adapt.
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