Reward program to combat streetlight vandalism, improve safety

The City Council voted to approve a report from the Public Safety Committee instructing the Los Angeles Police Department, City Attorney, LA Bureau of Street Lighting, and the City Clerk to provide recommendations for establishing a standing reward offer for information leading to the identification, apprehension, and conviction of individuals involved in copper wire theft.

This action aims to address the concerning increase in vandalism targeting copper wiring from City streetlights. Despite the Bureau of Street Lighting’s efforts to address the backlog of damaged lights, ongoing vandalism has resulted in prolonged repair times, leaving affected residents without adequate street lighting for weeks while repair crews respond to outages throughout the City.

As part of the new standing reward program, the Police Department will ensure that information can be reported through Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers, and the Department will establish a dedicated email address to receive information from the public.