According to the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works, they began getting reports of these lampposts being stolen back in September.
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"They were stealing the entire lamp poles. So, they're made of bronze and so they do have some monetary value. And my understanding is that they were sawing off the lampposts and then taking them away," said Edward Morrissey of the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council.
According to the LA City Department of Public Works, the lampposts were installed in 1926.
LAPD confirmed that the city is now removing the lampposts out of caution after multiple stolen lampposts, but the investigation is ongoing.
A statement from Elena Stern at the LA City Department of Public Works said:
"The Bureau of Street Lighting was notified on September 18, 2021 about the theft of streetlights from the Glendale/Hyperion Viaduct. It was reported that three were stolen over a span of three nights. Upon inspection, we discovered that 7 had been stolen as of 9/21/21. To date, 22 lights have been stolen, and BSL has proactively removed and stored 18 lights. We believe there were/are roughly 60-70 historic lights along the bridge, which leaves about 25-35 lights left on the bridge.
The stolen street lights on the bridge are bronze, and were installed in 1926, making them over 95 years old. The Bureau of Street Lighting has no replacement lights readily available, given the age and the solid bronze make of the lamp post.
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The Bureau is working with LAPD on this issue, and it is an ongoing investigation. The Bureau is also working on various proactive / temporary measures to protect the lights and ensure public safety."
Stern said that as of Wednesday afternoon, the city will be removing and working to preserve the remaining historic lights. Temporary lights will be going up over the next week or two.
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