January 6, 2022

L.A. Thieves are Stealing Historic Streetlights

Los Angeles is now removing all lights on Glendale-Hyperion bridge for safekeeping

LOS ANGELES, CA – When copper prices rise, it’s not uncommon for reports of wire theft from streetlights to also rise, but thieves in Los Angeles are taking metal theft to a new level by removing entire light poles and fixtures from the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.

According to the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works, the lamp posts were installed in 1926 and are made of bronze, making them many times more valuable than steel or aluminum. The fixtures are said to have historical significance and are chronicled in the United States Library of Congress.

Reports of streetlight thefts on the bridge date back to 2013, but in recent months there has been a steady stream of streetlight thefts dating back to September.

A Department of Public Works spokesperson explained, “The Bureau of Street Lighting was notified on September 18, 2021 about the theft of streetlights from the Glendale/Hyperion Viaduct. It was reported that three were stolen over a span of three nights. Upon inspection, we discovered that 7 had been stolen as of 9/21/21. To date, 22 lights have been stolen, and BSL (Bureau of Street Lighting) has proactively removed and stored 18 lights.”

The Department of Public Works spokesperson believes that were roughly 60-70 historic lights along the bridge, which now leaves about 25-35 lights left on the bridge. Officials are working to install temporary lights to provide roadway illumination at night.