Outrage as LA begs for $1M, ignores cheap device to battle copper wire theft
Los Angeles city council members Nithya Raman and Bob Blumenfield proposed spending over $1 million combined on streetlight repairs due to widespread copper wire theft, which costs the city more than $20 million annually. Despite this, a low-cost anti-theft device costing $300 per pole has been overlooked in favor of more expensive solar light replacements. Residents are frustrated as they face higher fees to fund repairs while repeated thefts continue unchecked.
- ▪Copper wire theft costs Los Angeles over $20 million per year in streetlight repairs.
- ▪Councilmembers proposed shifting $787,000 and $380,000 respectively toward repairs, mostly for labor and overtime.
- ▪A company called End Metal Theft offers a $300 locking cover to deter theft, which has proven effective in other cities.
- ▪The city is pursuing solar streetlights at $3,000 to $6,000 each, despite their higher cost.
- ▪Residents are being asked to approve fee increases to fund a major streetlight overhaul.
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Metro Outrage as LA begs for $1M, ignores cheap device to battle copper wire theft By Jamie Paige Published May 1, 2026, 5:27 p.m. ET Two Los Angeles council members moved to pour more than a million additional dollars into streetlight repairs Friday, chasing a problem that is already draining more than $20 million a year from taxpayers while entire neighborhoods sit in the dark. The back-to-back motions, introduced at City Hall Friday by mayoral hopeful and councilwoman Nithya Raman and councilmember Bob Blumenfield, target copper wire theft that has gutted the city’s lighting system and triggered a growing backlog of broken poles.
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