- Thieves disguised as utility workers are causing damage far exceeding the scrap value of the copper wire they are stealing.
- In fiscal year 2024, the street lighting program spent nearly $800,000 of its $1.2 million budget repairing damage from these thefts.
- City implements security measures; public urged to report suspicious activity to police.
SALT LAKE CITY — Copper wire thefts continue to escalate in Salt Lake City, with utility workers raising concerns over increasingly bold criminals disguising themselves as city employees.
Thursday morning, police responded to a reported theft near the Gateway.
According to Salt Lake Police Sgt. Miles Southworth, officers were dispatched at 8:53 a.m. to 50 S. 500 West for a man stealing copper wire from a city utility box. When officers arrived on the scene, the man ran off, dropping the wire.
Thieves disguised as utility workers
"He was wearing an orange vest. He did look like a utility worker, and he looked like he belonged working under in ground boxes," said David Pearson, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities street lighting program manager.
According to city employees, what's most alarming isn't just the theft, but the convincing disguises criminals are using to blend in.
"They look like they drive a maintenance truck, yellow lights on top, orange vests," Pearson said. "They're wearing disguises to make them look like they're utility workers that are supposed to be there."
The payoff for thieves may be small — just $250 in scrap value had the thief near The Gateway succeeded in his efforts Thursday morning — but the damage left behind is anything but.
"The cost to repair the damage done is 50 times what they get in scrap, so this could cost me up to $10,000 just to replace this stretch," Pearson said.
Hundreds of incidents and a citywide impact
Since 2022, Salt Lake City has recorded 194 copper wire thefts and 78 additional cases where thieves cut cables but failed to remove the copper.
"Anywhere we have decorative lights right now, downtown near Pioneer Park, we have lots of lights out due to wire theft," Pearson said. "The S-curve heading up to the University of Utah on 400 and 500 South is out right now. The Ninth and Ninth neighborhood has been hit multiple times. South Temple on the east side between State Street and 13th East."
In fiscal year 2024, the street lighting program spent nearly $800,000 of its $1.2 million budget repairing damage from these thefts.
"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," Pearson said.
New security and a call for public awareness
To deter future crimes, the city is installing more secure infrastructure.
"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.
Pearson is also asking residents to keep an eye out and, if they notice anything suspicious, to contact police. One key sign: a lack of logos or identification. He says the city is contracted with only one company: Black and McDonald.
"So 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, then it's a concern," he said.
Beyond Salt Lake: a statewide safety issue
"This is not just a Salt Lake City problem," Pearson emphasized.
Pearson said just last week, the city's utility department reached out to nearby municipalities, Rocky Mountain Power, and private contractors to form a coalition aimed at stopping the thefts. He says the coalition plans to approach the state Legislature to see if there is anything lawmakers can do to help support efforts to stop this 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," he said.
