LOS ANGELES — Each time Boyle Heights resident Margarita Amador leaves her house for a walk, she can’t help but notice a gaping electrical box by the sidewalk.

What You Need To Know

  • There has been a surge in copper wire theft is Los Angeles

  • Five to ten years ago, there were only 500 to 600 cases of copper wire theft

  • The LA City Attorney’s Office and Council President Paul Krekorian are also cracking down on the problem with a new initiative going after unscrupulous metal recyclers 

  • Repairs take time with only 200 technicians overseeing a network of 225,000 streetlights

Amador said thieves ripped out the copper wire from a streetlight and another one down the block almost three months ago.

“Now that we don’t have it, it’s just very black and dark at night,” she said.

It has Amador, who has lived in the neighborhood for ten years, worried about her safety, especially with the 60 Freeway across the street, which has a broken access door. She has a porch light, but it’s not nearly powerful enough to illuminate the street.

“I have five grandkids that I’m raising, so for me, just even having them out in the yard, I’d have to be out there with them,” Amador said.

She submitted a repair request through the city of Los Angeles’ 311 service at the end of September and has yet to see a fix.

It’s a wait that could last anywhere from four to six months, according to Miguel Sangalang, director of LA Bureau of Street Lighting. He said that five to ten years ago, there were only 500 to 600 cases of copper wire theft.

“This past fiscal year was one of the highest at 6,000. The year before that — all-time high — 6,500,” he said. “So what you’re looking at is a tenfold increase, a 1,000%.”

Sangalang said part of the reason why thieves steal the copper wiring is due to market forces.

“It’s driven by the cost of copper, a valuable metal on the market,” he said.

It’s also a big problem for public safety and Sangalang said one damaged streetlight can cause others on a block to go out, but repairs take time with only 200 technicians overseeing a network of 225,000 streetlights. He said they’ve tried sealing up electrical boxes, burying them under cement and the department is launching a pilot program next year to deploy 1,000 solar-powered lights, which only take hours instead of days to repair.

The LA City Attorney’s Office and Council President Paul Krekorian are also cracking down on the problem with a new initiative going after unscrupulous metal recyclers who buy the precious metal.

Diego Rojas, a yard manager for Active Recycling, said they adhere to state law and all recyclers should do their part in eliminating the market for stolen copper.

“We’re required to take a picture of their ID, fingerprint, a picture of their item and they have to sign a waiver that it’s their material,” he said.

Amador said she hopes the city’s efforts will lead to some fixes, soon.

“You know, it’s a safety issue for the city as well as for the community,” she said.