A Los Angeles resident recently did some detective work and found out that Sixth Street Bridge has been pillaged of its copper wiring and lighting parts. This was first shared on social media with a number of pictures that showed parts of the bridge where the lights and copper wiring had been stolen. If you were to drive past quickly then you may not notice this. However, upon closer inspection, it was pretty clear what was going on.

This follows a number of recent crimes in the city which have seen numerous city plaques stolen from their respective buildings to be harvested for their raw materials. Whether this is a group crime or whether it is a coincidence is not known at this time. Nonetheless, from a financial perspective, this is not good for the city and its residents.

Often, copper is a valuable metal that’s targeted by thieves because it’s relatively easy to steal and sell. Unlike other metals, it doesn’t have any identifying markings, making it difficult to track down. Additionally, copper is in high demand due to its wide range of uses in various industries, which further drives the motivation for theft. While copper theft may seem like a low-risk, high-reward crime, it can have serious consequences for property owners, businesses, and utility companies, resulting in significant damage and disruption.