Two Los Angeles City Council members are raising the alarm about a surge in copper wire thefts, and are taking steps Wednesday to curb such crimes by proposing the creation of a task force.
In a joint news conference on the Sixth Street Bridge on Tuesday, council members Kevin de León and Traci Park announced their commitment to combating what they described as a “brazen” crime wave. They said the city’s infrastructure, neighborhoods and public safety have all been impacted as a result of copper thefts, which have left thousands of street lights inoperable and led to repair costs estimated at more than $17 million in the past year.
“Thieves are literally picking our city for parts and selling them for scraps,” de León said. “The rampant theft of copper wire has plagued our city for far too long. We can no longer tolerate this brazen disregard of our neighborhoods, jeopardizing the well-being and safety of our residents.
Park added, “Copper theft affects every corner of our city, puts lives at risk, and costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year.”
The council members said they introduced two separate but related motions aimed at addressing copper wire thefts.
De León’s motion would establish a task force to address the rash of thefts in his 14th District, encompassing Downtown Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods.
The second motion, co-introduced by de León and Park, would create a citywide reward program to encourage people to come forward with information leading to the arrest and prosecution of individuals and groups involved in copper thefts.
“Our citywide reward program will encourage community members to come forward with information about copper thefts, making it clear that we all have a role to play in protecting our neighborhoods,” Park said.
According to de León’s office, the proposed Copper Wire Task Force would be a collaboration between the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central, Newton, and Hollenbeck divisions and the Bureau of Street Lighting. The task force would focus in de León’s district because it has been hit hardest, the councilman noted.
The Bureau of Street Lighting and the city attorney’s office will be involved and assign liaisons to partner with LAPD to streamline reporting of thefts and ensure evidence is collected for prosecution.
De León said he plans to request $400,000 in funds, along with money from last year’s budget and his discretionary resources, to support the task force.
In 2023, the city reported about 6,842 cases of copper wire theft, resulting in neighborhoods being left in the dark and posing a significant threat to public safety, officials said. Even the Sixth Street Bridge was hit, leaving portions of it dark, as well.
Earlier this month, Council President Paul Krekorian introduced a separate motion related to copper thefts. His motion would request a report back on the feasibility of incorporating more solar panels to power the city’s street light network, and shifting away from the use of copper wiring.
All three motions are expected to be considered by City Council committees within the next couple of weeks.