Cemeteries, streetlights and bridges across Los Angeles have been targeted by copper thieves in recent weeks, and now officials are vowing to crack down on the rise in thefts.
Thieves are stealing copper wire so they can sell it to recycling centers who may not know that what they are buying is stolen.
According to Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León, the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on repairing damage caused by the thieves, most of whom use hand saws to saw right through metal panels.
“In my district alone, we have about 3,700 lights that are completely out,” Councilmember de León told KTLA 5’s Jacqueline Sarkissian. “We are on the 6th Street Bridge right now … half of the bridge is completely dark because these thieves have broken into the metal panels.”
The councilmember then pointed to a spot on the deck of the bridge where copper wire had been forcefully removed from a metal panel in the ground. The top of the panel remained almost completely uncovered.
“Streetlights that can be 15 to 30 feet high [can have] a minimum of 150 feet of copper wire,” de León said.
Copper thefts are plaguing cities nationwide, the councilman confirmed, but the situation is “out of control in L.A.”
Some of the communities hardest hit by thieves are among the most “economically challenged” neighborhoods in the city, according to de León.
“What really grates me personally is that it’s really happening in our most economically challenged neighborhoods,” he said. “It’s really impacting these communities because grandmothers are afraid to walk down the street to buy a gallon of milk because it’s completely dark … mothers are leaving parks quite early because once it gets dark, the thieves come out.”
Among the steps being taken by city officials is reaching out to recycling centers and making them aware of the rise in copper wire thefts.
Councilmember de León also remarked that he was creating a task force along with the Los Angeles Police Department, the City Attorney and the L.A. Bureau of Street Lighting.
While he would not reveal many details about the task force, the councilman did confirm that he, along with Councilwoman Traci Park, will be setting up a reward system for those who report copper thefts.
At a press conference near the 6th Street Bridge on Tuesday morning, Councilmember Park stressed that copper wire thefts are not crimes that can be brushed aside.
“This is not just a petty theft crime,” she said. “These criminals are creating public safety issues that impact crime, traffic, pedestrian safety and other issues.”
