Infrastructure scavenging

This is but one example of a phenomenon that goes on every day throughout the word – the theft of copper causing huge problems

Copper thieves keep people, drivers in dark

Las Vegas Review Journal,

15 April, 2012

Some people enjoy stealing another's thunder. Others apparently take joy in taking people's light.

Government entities in Southern Nevada for years have been battling copper thieves who steal the wiring from street lights, darkening our neighborhoods and freeways.

You can't help but wonder whether the outages on long stretches of roadways have contributed at all to the rash of pedestrian deaths in recent months.

It's tough to say whether there is a connection between poorly lit streets and vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents. What isn't so tough to say is the impact the epidemic has had on government agencies whose coffers have already been pinched by the sour economy.

Consider this: In just the last six months, copper wiring has been stripped from 12 street lights and seven trail lights in Henderson. While the city is quick to repair the lights -- most of the time they are repaired in less than three days -- the crime is costly. In six months, the city has forked out $20,000 to return light to its streets.

Kathleen Richards, spokeswoman for Henderson, said residents sometimes see thieves lifting the copper wire, but assume they are city employees repairing the lights.

It has become such a major issue Richards urges people to call 911 and reminds them that city workers will be wearing uniforms.

The value of copper fluctuates and the number of thefts typically follow along that pattern, Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said.

"The severity of the problem seems to rise and fall depending on what folks get for the material," Kulin said.

Prices vary. Recycling centers pay around $25 a pound for die cast copper; scraps from electrical devices are worth about $10 a pound, according to the website Benefits-of-Recycling.

During the last legislative session, lawmakers agreed to crack down on thefts by requiring salvaging and recycling centers to log the names of those delivering the metal to their yards.

Clark County has taken steps to prevent the thefts too. Caps to utility boxes are welded or locked. If the boxes are on the ground, crews try to bury them. If they are on the street light poles, they are placed as high as possible.

When copper values were at the highest, in 2008 to 2009, Kulin said 480,760 feet of the metal wiring was stolen from street lights. So far this year, 37,700 feet of wiring was stolen, amounting to $39,000 in repair costs. In 2011, 166,900 feet of wiring was lifted, costing taxpayers $115,000.

Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Dennis Flynn said the problem has plagued the Las Vegas Valley for years and, although law enforcement agencies have made arrests, the thefts continue to be a problem.

"This has been an ongoing issue we've dealt with for the last three years, but it's definitely on the increase," he said. "It's such an inconvenience to everybody and it's just disgusting. The money they get from the theft is such a small amount compared to what it costs to do the repairs."

Flynn said he has not noted a correlation between pedestrians struck by vehicles and street lights. When officers see a malfunctioning light, they contact the government entity immediately.

Crews are quick to fix the lights, except on Interstate 215, where county officials say the work must be contracted out.

"This problem is it's dangerous," Flynn said of the darkened lights. "It puts people in danger, and it is an inconvenience to people who live or pass through the area. It also comes out of taxpayers' money. We pay for that crime."

Southern Nevada is not the only region dealing with the thieves. Sacramento city officials just last week approved spending $2 million to repair their street lights. That is on top of the $1.2 million spent in 2010, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Police have warned recycling centers and salvaging yards that their employees could face prosecution and their business license could be stripped if they knowingly accept copper wiring that has been stolen.

He said some thieves have become so desperate they are stealing storm drain covers and manhole covers.

"Since the economy turned, this has been on a steady rise," he said.

The police department has made headway in capturing criminals stealing residents' lights.

"All reports we generate go into a database like any other crime," Flynn said. "It's a searchable database where we can see where they're occurring. If there is any type of pattern, our investigators set up accordingly."

If you see someone fiddling with a street light, it's probably worth taking a second look to see whether they're a government worker. It could save us all a few dollars.