More than 80 arrests made in new effort to battle theft of copper, metal in LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- More than 80 arrests have been made and thousands of pounds of copper wire have been recovered since a new city task force began its mission to stop metal theft across Los Angeles.

The city has seen a rise in thieves stripping copper wire and other metals from public infrastructure and construction sites, leaving streets, neighborhoods and even the celebrated Sixth Street Bridge in the dark.

In response, earlier this year the city created the Heavy Metal Task Force, made up of LAPD officers from different divisions throughout the city.

"Copper wire theft has been a plague in our city with criminals targeting our essential infrastructure, picking our city for parts and selling them for scrap," said Councilman Kevin de León, a coauthor of the motion creating the task force.

LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Oreb said so far, the task force has conducted 26 operations, making 82 arrests, 60 of which are felony crimes, and seizing nine firearms. Plus, more than 2,000 pounds of copper wire have been recovered.

"Wire theft is not a victimless crime," added City Councilmember Traci Park, who coauthored the measure. "The wire that's sitting right before us represents a street light that no longer works, a sidewalk that is now shrouded in darkness."

De León, who represents the 14th District, which includes neighborhoods in downtown L.A. and the Sixth Street Bridge, which became a target for copper wire thieves, said the vandalism happening across the city leaves a "mark of shame on our communities, and disrespects the memories and legacies of those who came before us."