Los Angeles – Every day hundreds of people walk across the 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles, but at sunset they disappear and the ‘Ribbon of Light’ disappears completely into darkness.
“About seven miles from one end to the other of copper wire that was stolen,” said LA City Councilman Kevin de Leon told CBS News. “So these lights become ATMs.”
The striking bridge – which crosses the LA River and the 101 Freeway and connects the historic Boyle Heights neighborhood to the downtown LA Arts District – opened to much fanfare in July 2022 and at a cost of nearly $600 million, but now Angelenos are shaking their heads in dismay.
Over the past year, thieves have gradually stripped the lights, poles and copper wiring that illuminate the bridge’s arches. According to De León, the stolen metal is worth approximately $11,000 in total.
“What they’re actually getting is pennies on the dollar,” De León said. “It’s costing taxpayers millions of dollars in repairs.”
A special city task force is trying to crack down on the thefts and the recycling centers that buy the stolen copper wire.
Hundreds of fire hydrants in the city have also been stolen for scrap since last year. Security footage showed suspects using a truck to knock one down and tow it away.
“It’s mind-boggling that someone would just come into a neighborhood and steal a fire hydrant,” said Angeleno Krystal Cousins.
Many replacements now have locks to prevent access to the bolts.
Meanwhile, city officials have no plans to replace the bridge’s lights until they can find a way to prevent the thieves from taking it apart.
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