The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday gave its final approval to a proposed ordinance that would create a Metal and Wire Theft Reward program, which city officials hope will curb crimes against public infrastructure such as copper wire theft.
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In an 11-2 vote, council members approved the ordinance, which now heads to Mayor Karen Bass for her consideration. The ordinance aims to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.
The city would offer a $5,000 reward for felony grand theft, and $1,000 for misdemeanor theft.
Council members Adrin Nazarian and Curren Price were absent. Council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the measure.
In January 2024, then-Councilman Kevin de Leon, alongside Councilwoman Traci Park and Councilman John Lee, introduced a motion seeking to create a tiered reward system program to solicit help from residents in addressing copper wire theft. Council members later approved the motion and instructed the city attorney to draft the ordinance for such a program.
"Copper wire and other metal theft isn't pretty -- it's organized crime that darkens our streets, cuts the internet to homes and schools, and robs us of our history when they steal statues and historic markers," Park said in a previous statement. "Our citywide reward program takes these thieves head-on so we can keep lights on, kids connected and taxpayers protected," she added.
In 2024, as a result of brazen copper wire theft on the Sixth Street Bridge, elected officials and the Los Angeles Police Department created the Heavy Metal Task Force to crack down on metal theft in the downtown areas, and later in some neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a report from the City Attorney's Office, the LAPD believes that the adoption of the reward program will assist in the identification, apprehension and conviction, or final adjudication, of persons who commit acts of metal and wire theft.
Officials of the Bureau of Street Lighting previously reported that 60% of streetlight outages have more to do with regular maintenance.
"In fact, it's just regular maintenance that the city has neglected to do over the years. This should come as no surprise because we haven't assessed our street lighting funds since 1996. We've had to eliminate vacancies and so forth," Soto-Martinez previously said.
The councilman urged his colleagues to fortify the city's streetlights and provide the Bureau of Street Lighting with more resources, personnel and funding.
In the coming year, municipalities are expected to have more tools to address metal theft.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 476, authored by Assemblyman Mark González, D-Los Angeles.
The bill will expand reporting requirements for junk dealers and recyclers, requiring them to collect detailed transaction records and verify the seller's identity and lawful ownership of metals brought to their businesses.
It will also make it illegal for individuals to possess certain scrap metal -- including parts from streetlights, traffic signals and plaques -- without proper documentation. Penalties would be increased to reflect the high costs of damage and replacement.
"Copper theft is not a victimless crime. It's costing cities millions, endangering residents, and overwhelming local resources," González said in a statement. "AB 476 gives law enforcement and cities additional tools to track illegal transactions, stop thieves and hold bad actors accountable."
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