Copper cable thefts have plagued Los Angeles for years, posing security risks and costing the city millions of dollars. Incidents increased last year, according to city officials, who in recent months have stepped up efforts to apprehend both thieves and buyers of the stolen cables.
In the latest move, council members Kevin de León and Traci Park introduced motions this week to combat the “sheer magnitude of the thefts,” which they say have resulted in citywide repair costs exceeding $17 million. The measures would create a task force and a permanent rewards program for public assistance.
“The city is literally being dismantled into pieces,” the De León task force motion said.
The task force would be a collaboration between the Los Angeles Police Department and the Bureau of Street Lighting, which manages about 223,000 streetlights, according to the motion. In a statement, the office said it is “committed to taking all necessary measures to safeguard our infrastructure.”
“Keeping the lights on is our number one priority,” the office said.
The Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and El Sereno neighborhoods have seen 3,738 streetlights targeted by thieves, according to De León's motion. Even then, Deputy Chief Michael Oreb of LAPD Headquarters said the problem is “underreported” and goes back years.
Oreb said the proposed task force is an “excellent starting point.” Initially, law enforcement will focus its efforts on the northeast and southern regions of the city to examine the effectiveness of the task force. “If we see successes and reductions, we will look to expand to further parts of the city,” Oreb said.
De León seeks to spend at least $200,000 in council district funds to cover costs related to the task force.
“We can no longer tolerate this blatant disregard for our neighborhoods, which endangers the well-being and safety of our residents,” he said at a news conference. “We are taking a strong stance against copper wire theft and sending a clear message that we will bring those responsible to justice.”
City officials are also asking residents for help stopping thefts by establishing a permanent rewards program, which would “allow law enforcement to more efficiently solicit the public's help.”
The program would allow the public, in exchange for monetary compensation, to submit information through Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers. The motion also requested that the LAPD establish a dedicated email address for reporting copper wire thefts, as well as create a public service announcement to promote the program to residents.
Park stressed that both motions are necessary to address thefts.
“This problem is serious enough to warrant a multi-level approach,” Park said.
Residents of Council District 11, which includes Venice, Mar Vista and Westchester, are “sick and tired” of thefts, Park said.
“We see it everywhere: wiring and other materials stolen from our public infrastructure,” Park said. “But it's not just about public infrastructure, it's also about construction sites and other places. “If we don’t take strong action, someone will get seriously hurt.”
Park said metal recyclers and other businesses have been notified about the rules surrounding admitting copper wire thefts.
“What we really need to see is for our task force to go out into the community to those companies that do real investigations, evaluate records to ensure purchases were made legally, and then seek legal remedies when they find violations,” he said.
The motions are among the latest initiatives taken by the City Council to combat theft. On January 9, Councilor Heather Hutt introduced a motion asking the Office of Street Lighting to examine the possibility of replacing copper cables with solar-powered lighting.
“The use of solar-powered lights could reduce the costs of powering the city's extensive street lighting network and minimize the impacts of vandalism due to copper wire and power theft, providing more reliability to the network,” it said. the motion.
Hutt's motion, which was seconded by Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, came in the wake of extensive damage to the 6th Street Viaduct, which is located in the De León district, after thieves stole a third of the cables copper structure.
In November, Council President Paul Krekorian and City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto also announced a joint venture to target metal recyclers and anyone who receives stolen material, notifying them that they must comply with copper sales laws.
The goal, Feldstein Soto said in a press release, is to help “eliminate the market for stolen copper.”
Krekorian added: “Businessmen who deal in stolen copper are as guilty as the thieves who steal it and we warn them that they will be held responsible.”
