LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Following three recent Los Angeles Police Department operations in North Hollywood, details related to arrests of copper wire theft suspects and the recovery of precious metal will be announced Tuesday.
Council President Paul Krekorian, who represents the 2nd District, which includes North Hollywood, will host a news conference alongside LAPD officials to discuss their efforts in cracking down on copper wire theft.
North Hollywood is one of the areas of Los Angeles “most impacted by metal theft,” according to Krekorian’s office.
For the last two months, Krekorian funded an LAPD Commercial Crimes Division operation to perform compliance checks at recycling businesses near impacted areas. LAPD has made multiple arrests at metal recycling businesses for trafficking in material stolen from street lighting systems and other public utilities.
The task force performed compliance checks at recycling businesses near impacted areas — resulting in arrests at separate facilities for alleged theft, failure to report and receiving stolen property.
In addition to about 1,668 pounds of stolen copper wire theft being recovered, LAPD officers also collected hundreds of pounds of aluminum cable and backup batteries — taken from the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting, Caltrans and Southern California Edison.
City Council members have expressed their frustration about the theft of copper wire, which has led to dark neighborhoods and cost the city millions of dollars for street light repairs. Thieves have also taken precious metals from public plaques, monuments and cemetery headstones.
On Aug. 6, City Council members approved an additional $200,000 to support the LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force, composed of LAPD’s Central, Newton and Hollenbeck Divisions. Councilman Kevin de León, who spearheaded the formation of this group, sought to crack down on metal theft happening in his 14th District, which stretches from downtown Los Angeles to such Eastside neighborhoods such as Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights.
The Sixth Street Bridge, also in his district, has been a huge target of copper wire thieves.
According to the councilman, the task force has made 82 arrests and recovered about 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire.
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