COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-
The Colorado Springs Utilities department was seeking help from the public to identify and locate anyone removing wire from streetlight poles who was not an employee of the department, officials said.
In recent days, thieves have opened up at least 33 light poles along Powers Blvd., and cut out the copper wiring inside.
Thefts of such metals have increased across Colorado to the extent that state lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. Bill Ritter which would create a registry for people buying or selling commodity metals.
That measure was awaiting the governor’s signature.
The copper wiring—worth nearly a dollar a foot—could be sold as scrap, netting the thieves several thousand dollars.
“If they get $3,000 for it, that’s easy money,” Springs Utilites energy manager Tim Hodges told KKTV-TV.
Work was expected to begin early next week to repair the lights.
Officials hoped to complete that work by the end of the week.
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Information from: David Nancarrow/KKTV-TV,
