CLARK COUNTY (KTNV) — Copper wire theft is a serious and costly issue that Channel 13 has reported extensively on. It's led to streetlight outages and even disrupted business at times for some locals.
We're following up six months into 2025 to see where the problem stands now, as recyclers, law enforcement and public officials have been working together to attack the issue from multiple angles.
Saul Haro, a regional general manager for SA Recycling, said they've been working with leaders and stakeholders on addressing this because they want to be a part of the solution.
"Your city officials, your law enforcement, your recyclers have been working on this for a long time to put these things into effect," Haro said, adding that they have monthly meetings.
One of those things he's referring to is a new ordinance put into effect late last year in Clark County. It prohibits the purchase of seven-strand copper wire commonly used in municipal or utility operations unless sellers provide documentation that verifies the wire was lawfully acquired.
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It also makes it illegal for businesses to purchase scrap metal from walk-up sellers and prohibits cash payments for copper wire.
"We're just as unhappy when we see these types of things, because it's bad for the industry. We want only the good business. We don't want the bad business," Haro said.
Haro has that new regulation posted large and clear for everyone to see at SA Recycling's Nellis location, and he believes it's already making an impact.
"I think it's been very successful. We're not seeing the walk-up traffic anymore. We've definitely seen the amount of seven-strand copper wire come down. We weren't seeing a ton to begin with, but we have seen the numbers dwindle," Haro said.
He said he believes most of the stolen copper wire wasn't coming to legitimate recyclers like them, since their employees are trained to have a critical eye, but he believes this ordinance was a necessary first step in cracking down on the issue, which has exploded in recent years.
He attributes the rise in copper wire theft to its increasing value in recent years, making it more of a target for thieves.
"I think the next step is actual enforcement of the unlicensed recyclers, the guys in the middle of the street buying from the individuals that are not going to come sell to us," Haro said.
That new county ordinance is just one of the tools Clark County is using in the hopes of curbing copper wire theft. A county spokesperson said ongoing efforts also include:
- Welding shut and installing locking covers on boxes.
- Installing wiring overhead instead of underground to impede criminal access.
- Installing aluminum wiring instead of copper since it's less valuable.
- Installing solar streetlights in an east valley neighborhood that's been hard hit as part of a pilot program.
- Using a swing shift for streetlight maintenance, maximizing the use of equipment and resources. A spokesperson said this means more hours of daily utilization for county boom trucks and allows electricians to move more quickly from site to site. Another perk of the swing shift is that workers can more easily see which lights are out at night.
- The Clark County Dept. of Public Works has a $1.2 million contract that started last December to address locations in need of repair due to copper wire theft. A spokesperson said they are also working on plans for a new, $3.1 million contract to continue that mission.
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While Clark County officials say the numbers they have just encompass what has been reported to the county, and do not serve as a comprehensive account of the issue, they say they are seeing some encouraging data right now.
According to a county spokesperson, over the last six months, wire theft has been reported at 58 locations to Clark County Public Works. That's compared to wire theft reported at 71 locations over the prior six months.
The total spans of wire reported stolen have also gone down: 103 over the last six months, compared to 200 over the previous six months. Additionally, the total length of wire estimated to have been stolen based on what's been reported to Public Works has almost been cut in half — 15,933 feet over the most recent six months compared to 31,325 feet over the six months prior.
Saul Haro with SA Recycling said the next step in getting these numbers down further is prosecuting the culprits, and he believes a new state law will help.
"The biggest thing that's going to help is law enforcement can actually take the bad actors and build a case and put them in jail," Haro said.
Gov. Joe Lombardo recently signed Assembly Bill 503 into law. It stiffens penalties on those who steal copper wire.
"The ordinance was the first step. Going into legislation and creating it and turning it into a bill, that was a home run because now law enforcement will actually be able to prosecute and charge people with these crimes," Haro said.
If you see copper wire theft occurring, Clark County officials encourage you to call 911 to report it to police as a crime in progress. The public also can report suspected theft and streetlight outages online through FixIt Clark County.
