Jan. 23, 2026 7 AM PT
To the editor: This issue of wire theft has been going on for some years now (“Copper thefts turned these upscale L.A. streets pitch dark. Frustrated residents are fighting back,” Jan. 21). As an outdoor lighting professional with more than 60 years of experience, this is an issue that, quite frankly, is very frustrating. Why? Because for at least the past decade, I have tried mightily to get the city of Los Angeles to drag itself into the 21st century regarding solar street lighting.
I live in the San Fernando Valley on a main street and thieves continually steal the underground wiring of the streetlights, creating a dark corridor. So, what did the city do? It replaced the wiring and “fortified” the underground pullboxes by tearing up and repairing the sidewalks (and not fixing any broken areas!) and covering the pullboxes in concrete, marked in the cement as a deterrent.
What happened next? The vandals came by, punched a hole in the concrete and removed the wire — again.
I have offered my services to the Bureau of Street Lighting to no avail. I have spoken with city leaders when I get the chance to no avail. I guess from me, an average resident and citizen, the fix is too easy and will not be considered.
Remove the existing LED light fixtures. Replace them with solar light fixtures. Remove the underground wiring and scrap to mitigate some of the cost of the light swap. And finally, fix the sidewalks.
Ricc Bieber, Northridge