Thieves PLUNGE Los Angeles Into Darkness

Smartphone displaying map of Los Angeles, California.

Criminal thieves have plunged entire Los Angeles neighborhoods into total darkness, stripping over $100 million worth of copper wire from streetlights while overwhelmed city officials struggle with repair backlogs stretching nearly a year.

Story Highlights

Copper wire theft damages exceed $100 million since 2020, with 15% of LA’s streetlight system currently dark
Over 46,000 outage complaints filed in 2024 alone, with 40% directly caused by theft operations
Iconic 6th Street Bridge’s “Ribbon of Light” remains dark after thieves stripped $2.5 million worth of wiring
Repair delays stretch 9-12 months due to understaffing, leaving communities vulnerable to increased crime

Epidemic Overwhelms City Infrastructure

Los Angeles faces an unprecedented copper theft crisis that has left approximately 15% of the city’s quarter-million streetlights inoperable. The Bureau of Street Lighting, managing 27,000 miles of copper wiring with fewer than 200 staff members, received over 46,000 outage complaints in 2024 alone. Executive Director Miguel Sangalang reports that nearly 40% of these outages stem directly from theft, creating repair backlogs that stretch 9-12 months in affected neighborhoods.

The theft epidemic represents a 650% increase from 2018-2022 levels, with criminals targeting LA’s century-old streetlight network that prioritizes maintenance access over security. This design creates approximately 500,000 vulnerable entry points across dense urban areas, making the system particularly susceptible to organized theft operations that have plagued neighborhoods like Pico-Union, Silver Lake, and Los Feliz.

Criminal Operations Target High-Value Infrastructure

The iconic 6th Street Bridge exemplifies the brazen nature of these theft operations, with criminals stripping over 38,000 feet of copper wiring since its 2022 reopening. The bridge’s celebrated “Ribbon of Light” feature has remained dark, representing $2.5 million in damages that taxpayers must absorb. Thieves typically target the valuable copper during nighttime hours, with some operations netting over $11,000 from a single bridge hit according to scrap value estimates.

These criminal enterprises extend beyond streetlights, disrupting critical infrastructure including Verizon communication lines, EV charging stations, 5G networks, and air quality monitors. In May 2024, South LA seniors lost phone service entirely, while internet outages affected multiple counties in June. The October 2025 arrest of a suspect found inside a West LA manhole during active Verizon outages demonstrates the ongoing boldness of these operations.

Public Safety Crisis Emerges from Darkened Streets

LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman directly links the copper theft epidemic to violent crime, citing the 2023 murder of actor Johnny Wactor during a catalytic converter theft in a darkened area. Hochman describes the situation as “life and death,” emphasizing how criminals exploit the cover of darkness created by disabled streetlights. Residents report increased wildlife encounters, including coyotes, in neighborhoods left without adequate lighting for months.

The LAPD Heavy Metal Task Force has conducted major busts targeting both thieves and complicit scrap dealers, leading to reduced complaint numbers by mid-2025. However, resident advocate Jeanette Corcuera notes that task force efforts remain insufficient, as thieves can easily return to previously targeted areas. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman calls the year-long repair delays “unacceptable,” particularly in her district’s Cahuenga Pass area where residents endured eight months of darkness.