Utility workers in Salt Lake City are reporting a troubling increase in copper wire thefts, with criminals becoming increasingly audacious by disguising themselves as city employees.
On Thursday morning, police were called to investigate a theft incident near The Gateway. According to Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Miles Southworth, officers responded to a report of a man stealing copper wire from a utility box located at 50 South 500 West. Upon arrival, the suspect fled the scene, leaving behind the wire he had attempted to take.
The situation is compounded by the fact that thieves are donning convincing uniforms that resemble those of actual utility workers. David Pearson, the Street Lighting Program Manager for Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Utilities, commented on the alarming trend.
“He was wearing an orange vest, he did look like a utility worker, and he looked like he belonged working under ground boxes,” Pearson stated.
This concern reflects a broader issue where fake utility workers are using fast approaches to blend in effectively.
“They look like they drive a maintenance truck, yellow lights on top, orange vest,” Pearson elaborated, emphasizing the meticulous nature of their disguises designed to blend in and create an impression of legitimacy.
While the monetary gain for these thieves may appear minor—approximately $250 in scrap value— the ramifications of their actions are significantly more costly.
Pearson stated, “The cost to repair the damage done is 50 times what they get in scrap,” highlighting how a single incident could lead to expenses upward of $10,000 to replace damaged infrastructure.
The gravity of the situation is underscored by the sheer number of thefts recorded since 2022, with Salt Lake City having documented 194 instances of copper wire theft alongside 78 cases where thieves cut cables without success in removing the copper.
The impact of these thefts is evident citywide, leading to extensive outages in decorative lighting.
“Anywhere we have decorative lights right now, downtown near Pioneer Park, we have lots of lights out due to wire theft,” Pearson recounted.
Areas such as the curve up to the University of Utah on 400 and 500 South, along with multiple neighborhoods like Ninth and Ninth, have suffered repeated thefts.
The street lighting program’s fiscal year 2024 budget of $1.2 million has seen nearly $800,000 allocated to repairing damage resulting from these thefts.
Pearson lamented, “Places that you would think that vandals would not even dare touch but they are. They’re becoming more and more brave and it’s costing us lots of money.”
In an effort to combat the ongoing issue, Salt Lake City is taking steps to enhance security.
“We are also implementing new theft deterrents such as in-ground boxes that have proprietary key systems that only my maintenance contractor and I can use,” Pearson explained, revealing measures intended to bolster protection against such crimes.
Furthermore, Pearson makes a collective appeal to the community for vigilance.
He advises residents to report any suspicious activity, particularly noting the absence of proper identification or logos on workers.
“It’s a concern if you look at somebody who’s messing around in an underground utility box and you don’t see any signs that say Black and McDonald or any patches on their vest or on their hard hat,” he cautioned, stressing the need for awareness among residents.
This issue goes beyond the borders of Salt Lake City, as Pearson pointed out that the phenomenon of copper theft is developing into a statewide safety concern.
In response, the city’s utility department has sought to form a coalition with nearby municipalities, Rocky Mountain Power, and private contractors to devise strategies to thwart this issue.
Pearson noted their plans to approach the state legislature for additional support in tackling this increasingly costly problem.
“We’ve got to try to come up with creative ideas and ways to deter copper theft. It’s got to start somewhere, whether it’s at the scrap yards or on our streets or wherever, but it’s something we need to address,” Pearson remarked, underscoring the necessity for action.
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