Copper wire thefts have been turning streets across L.A. dark, with the Hollywood Hills becoming the latest affected area, and now some residents are fearing for their safety and worried about potential burglaries.
Footage sent in by KTLA viewers shows at least half-a-dozen power boxes in the area have been damaged recently, with wires sticking out of the holes left in the ground by thieves.
As a result, local streets are pitch black, which worries those living in the upscale area.
“I feel like our neighborhood is really safe, but that’s with the lights on, and not, you know, holes in the middle of the street,” said resident Vicki Weiss.
Other people residing in the Hollywood Hills are concerned of a wider, “endemic” problem.
“If it’s happening across the city, then it’s an endemic problem,” said longtime Hollywood Hills resident Mary Clark.
Officials at both the local and state level have introduced measures to try and tackle the copper wire theft issue which has left some city landmarks – most notably the Sixth Street Bridge in downtown L.A., once known as the “Ribbon of Light” due to its colorful light display – in complete darkness. Additional localities affected by the copper wire thefts include West Rancho Dominguez, the South Bay, Los Feliz and Hacienda Heights, among others.
A copper wire theft even led to a 911 system failure at the Arcadia Police Department in early August. In that case, the suspect — later identified as Jose Gante-Gomez of Los Angeles — accessed the department’s underground communications lines and fled with about 60 feet of copper wiring.
Gante-Gomez, 44, was arrested later that month after a traffic stop in L.A.’s Pico-Union neighborhood and booked on charges of suspicion of grand theft and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. It cost the department about $10,000 to replace the stolen wire and make necessary repairs.
In an effort to combat the issue plaguing the city, State Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Bill 476 earlier this year, which would require metal recycling companies to include more detailed information on the metals they acquire, including the time and amount paid for each sale or purchase – and mandate that companies disclose the owner or name of the person who sold them the scrap metal.
Additionally, the legislation increased fines for metal recyclers who possess, obtain and/or fail to report stolen metals.
AB 476 was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week. González, in a statement, thanked Newsom for helping the Golden State “turn the lights back on,” adding that the bill removes “any incentive to steal copper wire or critical public infrastructure.”
“Increased regulation of recyclers will leave thieves with fewer places to sell their stolen goods,” the assemblyman said.
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