700 streetlights in L.A. out due to copper thefts (Los Angeles: crime, new home)

[MisterMark]

Thieves posing as maintenance workers have taken 370,000 feet of wire. The city has spent $1 million on repairs.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
7:46 PM PST, December 4, 2007

Thieves posing as maintenance workers have disabled about 700 streetlights around Los Angeles, making off with 370,000 feet of valuable copper wiring over the last four months.

L.A. officials said it's a twist on copper thefts that have plagued new home sites and even some office buildings in the last few years.

With some lights pilfered during the summer still out, city officials on Tuesday expressed concerns about the safety of passing drivers, pedestrians and bikers. The Los Angeles Public Works Department has already spent nearly $1 million repairing the lights.

700 streetlights in L.A. out due to copper thefts - Los Angeles Times

[EscapeCalifornia]

Too bad they don't fry themselves.

[MisterMark]

Such a nice city, L.A.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by MisterMark

Such a nice city, L.A.

Interesting that a crime trend from the heartland has spread to L.A.rather than the reverse which is more typical.

[greggd]

Originally Posted by majoun

Interesting that a crime trend from the heartland has spread to L.A.rather than the reverse which is more typical.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[music7lover]

I just read about this in the LA Times. Another thing to add to the crime misery going on in LA neighborhoods. That would be really creepy not to have street lights in already dangerous neighborhoods. How does one walk out to their car at night?

[Jakehorror]

Originally Posted by MisterMark

Such a nice city, L.A.

Uh, that's been going on here in the Midwest for years, looks like we set the trend first this time

Back in Spring 4 homeless men were found murdered in manholes. Apparently what happened is that 2 other homeless men were pissed off cuz the others were invading their thieving ground. They found them one by one and beat them to death with iron pipes, then stuffed the corpses in the manholes and continued to cut scrap wire out of the old factories.

That crap goes on everywhere, not just L.A. funny how anytime something bad happens in a big city people always rag the city, but when it happens in a small town people just kinda act suprised but dont have many negative comments about the town. Small towns are bad for alot of things. Nosey neighbors are one of them.

[TheRealAngelion]

Originally Posted by Jakehorror

That crap goes on everywhere, not just L.A. funny how anytime something bad happens in a big city people always rag the city, but when it happens in a small town people just kinda act suprised but dont have many negative comments about the town. Small towns are bad for alot of things. Nosey neighbors are one of them.

LOL. I was thinking the same thing and was going to post some articles about bad things happening down here in San Diego just for MisterMark's benefit since he seems to be under the misinformed impression that crime is unique to LA.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Wish they would have been electrocuted. What do they do with this wire after they steal it? Sell it to Radio Shack?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by DaBeez

Wish they would have been electrocuted. What do they do with this wire after they steal it? Sell it to Radio Shack?

Sell it to scrap dealers.