"Epidemic" of Copper Wire Thefts Leave City Streets in Dark
January 24, 2012
By Mark Berman
Los Angeles officials are asking people to be on the look-out for thieves who are stealing copper wire from street lights, leaving block after block in the dark, and leaving us vulnerable to possible dangers.
In response to a report from the Mid City West Community Council that several street lights in the neighborhood were out, Jeffrey Ziliotto of the Department of Public Works/Bureau of Street Lighting wrote in an email:
"Our Night Crew has investigated this request and discovered that this area has suffered the outages as a direct result of the escalating wire theft epidemic. We will attempt to make repairs in a timely manner."
DPW said people should be vigilant if they see any activity around street lights. If the operation is legitimate, workers would be wearing hard hats, yellow vests and city identification. Their vehicles would have a city seal with the words "street lighting" emblazoned on the doors. Independent contractors working for the city would have a company name on their vehicles.
If you see people working on street lights who do not meet these descriptions and you are suspicious, call 911 right away.
