The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved a reward program aimed at curbing copper wire theft and facilitating the arrest of suspects involved in such crimes.
City council members voted 10-2 to implement a tiered reward system for crimes involving the theft of city plaques, gravestones, statues, light poles and copper wire. Rewards would be available to residents who provide information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of suspects in such crimes.
Mayor de Leon’s office said the fines are set at $1,000 for misdemeanor convictions and $5,000 for felony convictions. The program must be approved by Mayor Karen Bass before it can take effect.
Council members Kevin De Leon and Tracy Park co-sponsored the motion in January, and Council member John Lee seconded it.
“Today marks a major step forward in the fight against the rampant copper wire theft that has plagued our city,” Mayor de Leon said before the vote. “The Los Angeles City Council’s approval of this award program sends a clear signal that we are united in our commitment to protect our communities and hold those responsible to account.”
De Leon, whose 14th District includes downtown Los Angeles and the 6th Street Bridge, which was targeted in the copper wire thefts, said the vandalism across the city “brings shame to our community and disrespects the memory and legacy of our ancestors.”
Recently, thieves have begun targeting fire hydrants, he added.
“These are not victimless crimes, they are crimes against all of us, but particularly against the most vulnerable in our communities, and sometimes they escalate into violence,” the councillor said.
He was referring to the death of “General Hospital” star Johnny Wactor, who was shot and killed in May by suspects trying to steal catalytic converters in the area of West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street.
“We should not underestimate the potential for these incidents to escalate into violence,” the councilman said.
This new reward program is part of a larger effort that includes the establishment of a Copper Cable Task Force, a joint effort between the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Department of Street Lighting and the City Attorney’s Office that will focus on aggressively targeting and apprehending copper cable thieves operating in the hardest hit areas of Los Angeles, including Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights.
City Councilmen Hugo Soto Martinez and Eunises Hernandez voted against the proposal.
Soto-Martinez said she understands copper wire theft is a serious issue, but broken street lights are a bigger problem in the 13th Ward, which includes Hollywood. According to the Street Light Department, about 25% to 30% of street lights are out of service due to copper wire theft, and most others are not working due to lack of maintenance.
“We’re not putting enough money into City Hall to do routine maintenance on our street lights,” the councilman said, “and our constituents are asking us to do that.”
The councillor said he had requested a report to look at “the best measures” to prevent any incidents such as street lights being turned off due to theft of copper wire.
City Council President Paul Krekorian said the reward system, which doesn’t cost the city anything unless the reward is actually paid, only applies if someone is actually convicted of one of those crimes.
“This isn’t just about street lights,” Krekorian said. “Plumbing fixtures have been stolen from parks, resulting in entire playgrounds being destroyed by lack of irrigation. I serve on the board of Metrolink, the region’s commuter rail system, and we’ve had wires and metal stolen from train controls that could cause train derailments and collisions.”