Surge in Copper Wire Theft Plagues Los Angeles Neighborhoods, Disrupting Infrastructure and Public Safety

Los Angeles, CA - Copper wire theft continues to surge across Los Angeles, leaving entire blocks without streetlights, internet service, or landlines while costing the city and utilities millions in repairs.In a recent incident captured on resident video in Van Nuys around 3 a.m., two suspects were seen pulling long sections of underground communications cable from the street. One man, shirtless and wearing a medical mask, worked to extract the wiring while the other waited in a getaway car. The thieves operated for nearly an hour, tying cables to their vehicle before departing. The theft disabled streetlights, landlines, and WiFi for residents on the block, according to FOX 11 reporting.

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City data shows roughly 32,000 active streetlight repair requests across Los Angeles, with many linked directly to copper wire theft. The Bureau of Street Lighting has reported that theft and vandalism account for a significant portion of outages-up to 40-43% in recent fiscal years-with repair backlogs stretching nine to 12 months due to limited staffing for the city's quarter-million streetlights.

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Since 2020, repair costs tied to copper and other metal theft in the City of Los Angeles alone have exceeded $100 million, including major projects such as restoring lighting on the Sixth Street Bridge after thieves stole over seven miles of wiring (valued at about $11,000 for the metal but costing an estimated $2.5 million to repair).

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Rising copper prices-up more than 30% in 2025-have fueled the crime wave. Thieves typically cut cables, strip insulation, and sell the raw metal at scrap yards for quick cash, while communities bear the brunt of service disruptions and taxpayer-funded fixes. A single streetlight pole repair can cost up to $2,000. Similar thefts have affected telecommunications networks, with AT&T reporting over $60 million in California costs in 2025 alone, the majority in Los Angeles County.

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Broader impacts include outages to emergency communications, water systems, transit, and even EV chargers. In 2025, streetlight service requests hit record highs, with January seeing over 5,200 reports-the highest monthly total in at least a decade. Nationwide, copper-related attacks on communications infrastructure affected millions of customers, with California accounting for a large share.

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Los Angeles County officials have responded by approving motions for coordinated strategies involving law enforcement, utilities, and recyclers, especially ahead of major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl, and 2028 Olympics. Efforts include infrastructure hardening, better data-sharing, and enforcement against repeat offenders. Past initiatives, such as the LAPD's Heavy Metal Task Force, led to arrests and recovery of stolen copper, though challenges persist.

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Residents in affected areas, including Van Nuys, Mar Vista, Hancock Park, and others, have reported prolonged darkness and safety concerns, with some neighborhoods improvising lighting or altering routines. Authorities urge the public to report suspicious activity around utility infrastructure.The problem is not unique to Los Angeles but has hit the region particularly hard, prompting statewide discussions on tougher penalties for metal theft and recycler accountability.As copper prices remain elevated, officials warn that without sustained prevention and rapid response, disruptions to daily life and critical services will continue.