The Bureau of Street Lighting in Los Angeles has suffered extensive operational and safety disruptions due to systematic copper wire theft, leaving critical infrastructure like the Sixth Street Bridge and thousands of streetlights non-functional. Over 37,000 repair requests were filed in 2025, with 15% of the city’s streetlight system (37,500+ lights) affected by outages. Nearly half of these outages are directly tied to wire theft, causing 9–12-month repair delays due to understaffing (only 200 field workers for 250,000 streetlights). The financial toll includes $2.5M+ in repairs for the Sixth Street Bridge alone (vs. $11K stolen copper value), while public safety risks have surged linked to fatal crimes (e.g., actor Johnny Wactor’s murder during a catalytic converter theft in unlit areas) and hazards like wildlife collisions, pedestrian injuries, and disabled emergency visibility. Residents have resorted to self-funding private lighting solutions, and the city is scrambling to deploy solar alternatives. The thefts also strain law enforcement, prompting new legislation (AB 476) to curb scrap metal trafficking, with penalties for recyclers and a $5K reward program for tips on felony thefts.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-copper-wire-theft-recycler-penalties/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/bureau-of-street-lights
"id": "bur3992539102125",
"linkid": "bureau-of-street-lights",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "6",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the economy of geographical region"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'residents across LA County '
'(e.g., Cahuenga Pass, Encino, '
'Downtown LA)',
'industry': 'public infrastructure',
'location': 'Los Angeles, California, USA',
'name': 'City of Los Angeles',
'size': '250,000 streetlights; 4M+ residents',
'type': 'municipal government'},
{'customers_affected': 'all LA residents reliant on '
'street lighting',
'industry': 'public works',
'location': 'Los Angeles, California, USA',
'name': 'Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting',
'size': '200 field staff',
'type': 'government agency'},
{'customers_affected': 'downtown residents, commuters, '
'businesses',
'industry': 'transportation',
'location': 'Los Angeles, California, USA',
'name': 'Sixth Street Bridge (Downtown LA)',
'type': 'public infrastructure'}],
'attack_vector': ['opportunistic theft',
'exploitation of unsecured infrastructure',
'black market resale'],
'customer_advisories': ['Temporary solutions (e.g., motion-activated lights) '
'recommended for affected neighborhoods.',
'Caution advised for nighttime pedestrian/vehicle '
'activity in dark zones.'],
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-09-00',
'description': 'Surging copper wire thefts in Los Angeles have left '
'communities in the dark, with over 37,000 streetlight repair '
'requests in 2025, half of which are attributed to wire theft. '
'The thefts have led to prolonged outages (up to 12 months), '
'safety hazards (e.g., traffic accidents, wildlife encounters, '
'crime), and exorbitant repair costs (e.g., $2.5M to rewire '
'the Sixth Street Bridge for $11K worth of stolen copper). The '
'city is responding with legislative measures (AB 476), '
'technological upgrades (solar lighting), and a reward program '
'to combat the issue. Outages have contributed to fatal '
'incidents, including the murder of actor Johnny Wactor during '
'a catalytic converter theft in a poorly lit area.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['eroded public trust in city '
'infrastructure',
'perception of municipal neglect'],
'customer_complaints': ['high volume of resident complaints',
'community-led interventions (e.g., '
'self-funded streetlights)'],
'downtime': ['9–12 months for repairs',
'8+ months in some neighborhoods (e.g., Cahuenga '
'Pass)'],
'financial_loss': '$2.5M (Sixth Street Bridge rewiring) + ongoing '
'repair costs; $11K (stolen copper value per '
'incident)',
'legal_liabilities': ['potential liability for accidents/injuries '
"in dark areas (e.g., Johnny Wactor's death)",
'regulatory scrutiny over delayed repairs'],
'operational_impact': ['reduced municipal service capacity',
'backlog of 37,000+ repair requests (50% '
'theft-related)',
'staffing shortages (200 field workers for '
'250K streetlights)'],
'systems_affected': ["streetlight infrastructure (15% of LA's "
'system)',
'traffic signals',
'public safety systems']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': ['unsecured streetlight wiring',
'abandoned construction sites',
'poorly lit areas'],
'high_value_targets': ['copper wiring '
'(streetlights, traffic '
'signals)',
'catalytic converters']},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing (legislative and law enforcement actions in '
'progress)',
'lessons_learned': ['Underfunding and understaffing of critical '
'infrastructure enables systemic exploitation.',
'Delayed repairs create cascading risks (safety, crime, '
'economic loss).',
'Community resilience (e.g., self-funded lighting) '
'highlights gaps in municipal response.',
'Legislative measures must target both thieves and '
'enablers (e.g., recyclers).'],
'motivation': ['financial gain (black market sales)',
'exploitation of systemic delays in repairs'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Legislative: AB 476 to '
'curb scrap metal sales.',
'Technological: Pilot solar '
'lighting to reduce copper '
'dependency.',
'Financial: Proposed '
'updates to property '
'assessment rates.',
'Community: Reward program '
'for theft tips.',
'Operational: Exploring '
'partnerships for faster '
'repairs.'],
'root_causes': ['Chronic underfunding of '
'infrastructure maintenance.',
'Lack of physical security for '
'copper assets.',
'Black market demand for scrap '
'metal.',
'Systemic delays in repair '
'workflows (9–12 months).',
'Inadequate staffing levels (200 '
'workers for 250K streetlights).']},
'recommendations': ['Accelerate transition to theft-resistant infrastructure '
'(e.g., solar lighting, wireless systems).',
'Increase funding for streetlight maintenance via updated '
'property assessments.',
'Expand reward programs and public awareness campaigns to '
'deter theft.',
'Strengthen inter-agency coordination (e.g., LAPD, Bureau '
"of Street Lighting, DA's Office).",
'Implement real-time monitoring for high-theft areas '
'(e.g., sensors on copper wiring).'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-09-00',
'source': 'CBS News California Investigates'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-09-00',
'source': 'Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (email '
'statement)'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-09-00',
'source': 'Office of Mayor Karen Bass (email statement)'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-09-00',
'source': 'California Assembly Bill 476 (2025)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': ['pending enforcement of AB 476 '
'(effective 2026)',
'potential civil liability for '
'accident-related deaths (e.g., '
'Johnny Wactor case)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['public statements by Mayor Bass, '
'Councilmember Raman, and DA Hochman',
'media coverage (CBS News California '
'Investigates)'],
'containment_measures': ['AB 476: stricter scrap metal '
'purchasing laws',
'illegalization of possession of '
'streetlight/traffic signal parts',
'increased penalties for recyclers'],
'enhanced_monitoring': ['increased patrols in high-theft areas '
'(implied)'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': ['legislative (AB 476)',
'technological (solar '
'lighting pilot)',
'community engagement '
'(reward program)'],
'law_enforcement_notified': True,
'recovery_measures': ['proposed property assessment rate updates '
'to fund maintenance',
'community-subsidized lighting (e.g., '
'motion-activated lights in Cahuenga '
'Pass)'],
'remediation_measures': ['solar streetlight installations '
'(hundreds deployed)',
'Metal and Wire Theft Reward Program '
'($5K for felony tips, $1K for '
'misdemeanors)'],
'third_party_assistance': ['state legislature (AB 476 author: '
'Mark González)',
"LA County DA's Office",
'resident-led initiatives']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Residents advised to report outages via 311 and '
'avoid high-risk areas at night.',
'Businesses urged to install supplementary '
'lighting.',
'Scrap metal dealers warned of impending AB 476 '
'compliance requirements.'],
'threat_actor': ['organized theft rings',
'individual opportunists',
'scrap metal recyclers (complicit)'],
'title': 'Widespread Copper Wire Thefts Cause Extensive Streetlight Outages '
'in Los Angeles',
'type': ['physical security breach',
'critical infrastructure disruption',
'theft'],
'vulnerability_exploited': ['lack of physical security for copper wiring',
'delayed maintenance response',
'understaffed municipal services',
'outdated property assessment funding']}