Officials urge Gov. Newsom to crack down on copper wire theft in California

Law enforcement and elected officials are meeting Monday morning to urge California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a new bill that calls for tougher laws on copper wire theft.

Copper theft has left neighborhoods across Los Angeles and California in darkness and has cost taxpayers millions in repair bills. The 6th Street Bridge — which spans downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights — was once dubbed the “Ribbon of Light” but has been in the dark

since thieves ripped open electrical boxes and took the copper wires.

“Our Sixth Street Bridge in Los Angeles no longer lights up at night and it is covered with graffiti. Thieves repeatedly steal the copper wiring and have left the bridge in the dark. Patrol has been increased and graffiti removal requested,” Los Angeles Police Commander Lillian L. Carranza posted on X recently.

Los Angeles neighborhoods have also been affected. In September, copper thieves in the Broadway corridor of East Gardena left extensive damage to power poles and businesses in the South Bay Region. The incident came just one day after a string of copper thefts was reported in nearby West Rancho Dominguez.

In April, stolen wiring in Los Feliz left entire streets in pitch darkness. A security camera in the neighborhood caught a male suspect in the act. The video shows the neighborhood go dark as the suspect cuts the wires.

Monday’s 8:45 a.m. news conference will be held in Los Angeles’ Arts District to urge Newsome to sign Assembly Bill 476 that could help decrease thefts.

AB 476 would enhance scrutiny on junk dealers and recyclers, requiring them to provide detailed records, verify sellers’ IDs and their ownership of the copper. The bill would also expand restrictions on scrap metal possession from infrastructure and increase penalties for replacement.

Just last year, Los Angeles received nearly 46,000 streetlight outage reports, 40% of which were due to copper theft, officials stated in a news release.

Monday’s news conference will be attended by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, LAPD Officials and local residents, business leaders and community advocates.