Currently, Public Works Department has identified over 300 locations where wire theft has occurred and is in need of repair. As our staff works to keep the streetlights on and makes repairs every day, new locations of wire theft continue to occur. Our efforts to combat the problem have included welding shut access covers, installing lock covers, installing wiring overhead instead of underground to make access more difficult, and installing aluminum wiring instead of copper because it has less value and may be less of a target for theft. We also have hired six new electricians to respond to streetlight repair requests and will soon begin a $1.2 million project to help address a portion of our backlog of streetlight locations in need of repair due to wire theft.

Our goal is to respond to reports of outages in as timely a manner as possible based on available staffing, materials, and the high volume of locations impacted at this time. If you see copper wire theft occurring, call 9-1-1 to report it to police as a crime in progress.