Who said anything about criminals stealing it? i was thinking more in terms of animals or kids getting in there and damaging something. And as it being only expensive to the carriers who buy it, um....you realize that it is ultimately all of us as customers who pays for all this equipment, right?
Based on the pics this is a double first for me.
My first first is the fact its on a wooden telephone pole. Ive never seen that type of configuration. Usually its a steel mono pole or other type of higher up framing system.
My second first is how small the fence is around it. All the towers ive seen have 8-10 ft chain link fence and most have barbed wire around them. A few of them ive also seen a camera mounted on or around them to watch them.
Im going out on a limb but perhaps this is in a smaller suburb or city with a relatively low crime rate or borderline rural and the need for more security is lower, also the telephone pole configuration will provide less height above ground level and thus less overall coverage. Unless its on top of a hill thats the shortest tower i have seen.