L.A. County Supervisors Back Efforts to Fight Copper Theft in Pasadena

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved a motion read-in by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that will offer a $10,000 reward to help the City identify people suspected of stealing copper from street lights, City stock yards and other public sites.

“I am a strong supporter of local cities’ efforts to combat crime,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I introduced this motion to send a clear message to thieves who are vandalizing public property: you will be held accountable. I’m hopeful these reward funds will encourage anyone with information about the thefts and destruction of public property to step forward.”

The City of Pasadena is also planning to offer reward funds in coordination with the County and will soon share that information. A joint press conference is being planned for next week.

According to the City of Pasadena, a surge in copper theft has occurred since November. There have been approximately 34 copper theft incidents.

The losses have resulted in a total of 25,900 feet of stolen wire – the equivalent of 4.9 miles of copper wire – and damage to 280 city lights.

The thefts have continued over the past several weeks.

On January 11, a theft at the intersection of Castano Avenue and Estado Street resulted in a loss of $480 and affected four street lights. Approximately 160 feet of copper wire was stolen. A similar incident occurred on January 10 on Las Lunas Street at Elena Drive, where two strands of copper wire, totaling 480 feet, were stolen.
On January 10, a theft valued at $1,260 occurred at the intersection of Monte Vista Street and Craig Avenue, affecting six street lights and resulting in the theft of 420 feet of copper wire. Another incident that day saw $1,050 worth of copper wire stolen from Villa Street and Vista Avenue, with approximately 350 feet of wire taken from four electrical boxes.
On January 9, an electrical box was found tampered with on East Orange Grove Boulevard, but no wire was missing. On January 3, around 330 feet of copper wire, valued at approximately $990, was stolen from the 800 block of North Hill Avenue and Mountain Street. On January 5, a tampered pull box was reported on Carmelo Avenue and East Villa Street, but the extent of the loss could not be determined.
Earlier that day, 220 feet of wire was cut from East Maple Street and Craig Avenue, resulting in an estimated loss of $660. On December 29, $6,000 worth of copper wire was stolen from the thousand block of North Fair Oaks, near Jackie Robinson Park, and an additional $300 was stolen from Lincoln Avenue and Clinton Street.

In total since police arrested three people for their alleged roles in a wire theft on Dec. 11, at least 1,520 feet of copper wire has been also reported stolen, including 400 feet from underground pull boxes on Allendale Road on December 12th.

Pasadena is not the only City dealing with the thefts

The city of Los Angeles, like many other municipalities across the country, is dealing with a major spike in copper wire theft from its streetlight network. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of incidents of people stealing copper wire increased by 650%.

The city’s Bureau of Street Lighting has tried numerous approaches to stop the thefts, which can leave several blocks without overhead lights until repairs are made. Those approaches have included installing 1,000 solar-powered lights, which don’t need an outside electric connection to work; putting alarms on pull boxes (access points that make it easier to reach electric wires); and installing cameras nearby. In some neighborhoods,

The incidents could also lead to fatalities. Las Vegas officials say copper theft that left streetlights dark could have contributed to a bus crash that killed a 7-year-old girl.