Copper wire theft continues to plague San Jose and leave many residents in the dark due to thieves stripping wires from public lights.
Many cities around the Bay Area and across the state are facing the same problem, which has sparked a bill introduced in Sacramento this month that would require recyclers who buy copper wire to take down more information about who they are purchasing it from.
"One of the things we’ve been doing with the police department is reaching out to the metal recyclers, junkyards and recyclers with information about this issue letting them know what our copper wire looks like," said Colin Heyne, spokesperson for the San Jose Department of Transportation.
San Jose's widespread issue is such a big problem the city has launched an interactive map to show all the places where streetlights are dark due to stolen wire.
The city has 65,000 streetlights and crews have had to fix 650 of them since last summer. There are currently over 750 streetlights that still need to be repaired.
"This issue is growing rapidly," Heyne said.
The city said it usually takes crews two weeks to get to a location to fix a damaged streetlight, but is now taking four months due to the backlog. San Jose also admits previous security measures are not working with thieves now smashing through concrete covers.
"We’re looking at new ways to fortify those electrical boxes," Heyne said.
San Jose residents can report any street light outages by calling 311 or using the 311 app.
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Mayor Matt Mahan provided the following statement on Friday:
"Wire theft can literally leave our residents in the dark. Just as we’ve done with organized retail theft, sideshows and catalytic converter theft, we’re convening law enforcement and other city departments to target the recent rise in copper wire theft, ensure perpetrators are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and ensure we keep the lights on."
