Junk dealers and recyclers are coming under increased pressure to collect and report information on copper transactions.

There has been an increase in copper wire thefts throughout the state, which has left neighborhoods in the dark and telecommunication and utility outages that has impacted business and agricultural operations, and threatened public safety.

During the last-half of 2024, the telecom industry alone reported nearly 6,000 incidents of copper theft and infrastructure vandalism nationwide. Roughly one-third – or 1,805 – of those incidents happened in California.

The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement. (INT)

Story Date: June 5, 2025