Attorney General Bonta Holds Roundtable in Northern California to Combat Copper Wire Theft

SAN JOSE – As part of a statewide effort to address the surge in copper wire theft and infrastructure vandalism, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today was joined by local law enforcement, business leaders, utilities, and state and local officials for the second of two roundtables to discuss efforts to combat copper wire theft. California has seen an increase in copper wire thefts throughout the state, which have left neighborhoods in the dark, resulted in telecommunication and utility outages, impacted business and agricultural operations, and threatened public safety. Alongside today's roundtable, Attorney General Bonta highlighted a law enforcement bulletin, released earlier this summer, that summarizes the California statutes related to copper wire theft and laws governing junk dealers' and recyclers’ obligations to collect and report information on copper transactions.

“Thieves who seek to profit from stolen copper wire aren’t just committing a crime, too often they are damaging critical infrastructure and endangering our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “While the value of copper remains high, we can expect copper wire will continue to be a target of theft and vandalism — which is why we are bringing together Northern California leaders today to discuss collaborative solutions. From law enforcement to state and local government, the telecommunications industry to the business community, and more: we all have a role to play in preventing copper theft, safeguarding our infrastructure, and protecting Californians. DOJ stands ready to support local law enforcement and work together to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”

Between June and December 2024, the telecom industry alone reported nearly 6,000 incidents of copper theft and infrastructure vandalism nationwide. Roughly one-third — or 1,805 — of those incidents happened in California. Bad actors steal encased copper cables and cut them into short lengths before burning them to remove the sheathing to reveal the raw copper inside. That copper is then typically sold to scrap metal dealers, some of whom, in periods of high demand, are willing to accept the valuable commodity purportedly without knowing its origin. The ripple effect of each act of vandalism, each cable cut, is massive. From public safety to health care, energy, transportation, financial systems, IT, education, and more, life today can hardly function without the infrastructure behind communications systems. 

Copper theft and vandalism causes: 

• Disruptions to the 911 emergency system and to law enforcement operations; 
• Power outages; 
• Backups and safety hazards on public transit, freeways, bridges, and airports; 
• Service interruptions to streetlights and traffic lights;
• Contamination of water and sewer systems; 
• Out-of-service electric vehicle charging stations; and
• Disruptions to healthcare systems and schools. 

If you notice any suspicious activity, please inform local law enforcement immediately. It is crucial to report these thefts right away to prevent widespread communication disruptions and potentially save millions of dollars in damages.

A copy of the bulletin can be found here.