Austin Energy crews are replacing stolen copper wire conductor and vandalized street lighting infrastructure after nearly a dozen streetlights were vandalized and damaged at the 2300 block of Ridgepoint Dr. in North Austin.
On Feb. 12, a community member saw the vandalism and alerted police at 3:30 a.m. APD arrested the individual on site and are pursuing charges.
“A witness saw this incident and called 911, which is critical because law enforcement cannot be everywhere at once,” said Detective Rocky Reeves of the Austin Police Department. “We rely on members of our community to notify us when they observe suspicious or potential criminal activity. If you see someone tampering with utilities without proper credentials, proper work attire, or a clearly marked company vehicle, please call 911 immediately.”
Unauthorized possession of certain copper and brass without a justified reason is a felony under state law. Theft of high-voltage copper conductor is an ongoing challenge for the utility and power providers nationwide. In addition to street lighting, thieves will pry open transformers and other electrical equipment that are the main power source to a building and cut wires to steal copper. Some of these lines are left still energized, causing great danger to Austin Energy staff and the public. In some instances, safety measures have been damaged or stolen, creating additional hazards. Thefts occur at movie theatres, gyms, grocery stores and especially vacant commercial buildings, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.
These thefts impact Austin Energy customers, as they drain critical equipment and staff resources, delaying energizing of new buildings and replacement of critical equipment that can be hard to find due to national supply chain issues.
“Our focus on customer service is hampered by having to divert staff resources and critical supplies to repair equipment damaged by copper theft,” said Brock Carter, Austin Energy vice president of electrical system field operations. “Instead of energizing customers, we’re responding to damaged equipment and that pushes back critical services for our community.”
The Austin community is asked to provide copper theft tips to Austin Crimestoppers or by emailing the APD commercial burglary unit.