Authorities displayed photos of stolen copper wire that thieves turned in as scrap metal. (photo courtesy of the 2nd District council office)

The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion on Aug. 27 seeking information on potentially converting streetlights to solar power as a response to copper wire thefts, which are becoming more frequent.

The motion put forth by Councilmembers Heather Hutt, 10th District, and Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, was approved on the same day that City Council President Paul Krekorian joined LAPD officials at a press conference to announce a crackdown on copper wire thieves and a series of arrests. Krekorian said copper wire theft is costing the city millions of dollars.

“The individual thief may pocket $50 for a single theft of material that the recycler sells for thousands of dollars,“ Krekorian added. “But the cost to the public for repairing the damage runs into the hundreds of thousands. The copper wire recovered in the last three operations has a resale value of $39,900 but cost the city half a million in damage and repair costs. Thefts like this have cost the city over $24 million in a single five-year period.”

Krekorian, in conjunction with the LAPD, launched a copper wire theft task force in his 2nd District in the San Fernando Valley that has resulted in multiple arrests. At the Aug. 27 press conference, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton sent a message directly to would-be thieves who steal copper wire from streetlights to sell to sell as scrap, and unscrupulous recyclers who buy the metal.

“We will follow the problem wherever it goes. I just want to be very clear and direct that our reach is far,” Hamilton said. “We will surveil them and investigate wherever the case leads us, and we will take effective action against both the individual committing the crime and the crooked recycler who is taking those metals in.”

Hamilton said the county of Los Angeles and state of California have also been victims of widespread copper wire theft and are working in partnership with the LAPD. In one instance alone, thieves stole wire valued at $150,000 from a Caltrans site in the city of Los Angeles.

“When thieves steal copper from Caltrans, electrical infrastructure for resale, it creates a safety issue for motorists who use traffic systems such as lights, signs and meters to navigate,” said Blanca Rodriguez, chief of external affairs for Caltrans’ District Seven in L.A. “Just in the past four years, Caltrans spent more than $24 million to repair theft and vandalism to electrical infrastructure in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties alone.”

Hamilton said the LAPD is taking steps throughout the city to reduce copper wire theft and is working with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on felony prosecutions of thieves. The city is also going after recyclers with criminal charges and civil lawsuits.

“Nine months ago, I announced along with City Attorney [Hydee] Feldstein Soto, that we were going to be watching the metal dealers in Los Angeles. We sent out warning letters to every single metal dealer in the city of Los Angeles, citing the state law and letting them know that any violations of these state laws would be prosecuted,” Krekorian said.

Hutt and Yaroslavsky are trying to address the thefts from another angle, looking at the possibility of using solar power as an alternative that would eliminate the need for copper wire in streetlights. While it is unclear how much it would cost, the council members cited the use of solar lighting in some Los Angeles park facilities as an example and asked the Bureau of Street Lighting to report back on the possibility of converting the city’s 223,000 streetlights to solar power.

“Solar-powered lighting is an innovative way to brighten our streets, using cleaner energy while minimizing our carbon footprint. The rising rates of vandalism and increased power outages near existing lights is a huge public safety risk for our constituents,” Hutt said. “The city continues to find solutions to copper wire theft and the continued maintenance of our street lamps, and solar-powered lighting can give us the unique opportunity to brighten our city in a cutting-edge and sustainable way.”

“Copper wire theft and vandalism have affected too many communities for too long, and it’s time we explore smarter solutions like solar-powered streetlights,” Yaroslavsky added. “These lights are more reliable and can help us avoid the constant outages some neighborhoods in L.A. have experienced. By moving toward solar where it makes sense, we’re making sure our streets stay lit and safe for everyone.”