Before copper theft law takes effect, Twin Cities residents bear darkened streetlights

Laurel-Lee Wirtz has struggled for strength since losing her partner of 36 years.

Wirtz’s 64-year-old husband, Steven, and their dog Gunther, died last Christmas Eve when a car struck them on a dimly lit road. That day feels recent for Wirtz, who met Steven in 1987, and who has lived “day by day” since his death. Wirtz and her neighbors blame copper wire thieves for the crash because they damaged the street lights that would have made Steven visible. His death and other Minnesotans’ experiences prompted lawmakers to design a bill to stop copper wire theft across the state. But as officials prepare for the law to take effect, residents report continued copper thefts that threaten their safety.

“I think [this bill] is a good thing. Too bad that it’s taken so long to happen,” Wirtz said, adding that traffic remains a concern for her. “It’s unfortunate that people have been robbed and hurt and injured and killed because the lights weren’t there, but that seems to be the way it is. It seems that things don’t really change until the worst happens.”

In recent years copper wire theft has become a growing problem across the Twin Cities. Such burglaries have slowed construction projects, robbed citizens of air conditioning amid a year of record heat, cost cities thousands in replacements and repairs, and proved fatal when a man walking his dog was struck by a vehicle on a thoroughfare darkened by stripped streetlights.

The issue has resulted in an new law that takes effect next year that would attempt to regulate the sale and purchase of the metal. But in the meantime, the problem persists.

“A street light is a basic form of safety. At it’s core level, you want to be able to walk out at night in a northern climate and feel safe,” St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said. “Our staff take this as seriously as the public.”

St. Paul officials noticed the trend about five years ago, finding that more thieves were stealing copper wire from streetlights, air conditioning units, traffic signals and other sources. Thieves then sell the metal, which reached record values in 2020, to scrap yards and recycling facilities across Minnesota.

The city spent $250,000 fixing issues caused by stolen copper wire in 2019 and tried different strategies to discourage theft. Workers welded access panels shut, electrified utility wires during the day, installed silent alarms and used less valuable wire. Those fixes did little to stop thieves who stripped copper wire from thousands of lights, costing the capital city $1.2 million in damage last year.

One ring of copper wire thieves darkened dozens of St. Paul streetlights, causing more than $210,000 in damage. Prosecutors charged a man and woman this July with stealing copper wires from under the Smith Avenue Bridge. Crews were under the bridge hours earlier to repair damage caused by thefts, and found spools of wire stripped from service providers like Xcel Energy. Both suspects posted bond and are scheduled for a hearing this month.

And for the past year, copper wire thieves have darkened the paths around Robert Humphrey’s East Side neighborhood in St. Paul. Humphrey and his family moved near Lake Phalen in the late 2000s. He transformed a foreclosed property into a home for his children to grow up in, adding a playground and ample view of the lake and its busy trails. But as a nationwide surge of copper wire thefts strikes utilities across the the capital city, Humphrey and his neighbors worry that their safety is at risk.

“They just got these running like two, three weeks ago. And as you can see, mine still don’t work,” Humphrey said, pointing at street lights near his home. “In the winter, when I was driving downtown to work, it was black the whole way ... it is a safety issue.”

Some neighbors believe the shuttered lights worsen the odds for traffic accidents. Others said the issue is a “huge” problem. They’re not alone: Cities across Minnesota are grappling with copper wire thefts.

Twin Cities men caused more than $10,000 in damage this year after posing as employees to steal copper wire from a tower outside Little Falls. Eagan authorities charged a former city employee with stealing copper wire from the city. Police said the former water production supervisor stole at least $4,000 in copper wire from the city before spending the proceeds on “gifts.”

Minneapolis officials say wire theft caused about $200,000 in damages this year, disabling more than 130 streetlights and stealing the city’s copper at a rate similar to 2023.

The copper wire theft law, authored by Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, would require a commissioner-approved license for people who sell copper in Minnesota. Businesses buying copper will be required to track each sale and scan sellers’ licenses. Gov. Tim Walz and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter joined 38 mayors across Minnesota in supporting the bill, touting how the law is modeled after a catalytic converter bill which reportedly led to a 90% decrease in such thefts. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

But Neil Byce, a Minnesota employer who owns 14 recycling facilities across the state, said the bill lacked input from recycled material professionals such as scrappers auto shredders. Specifically, Byce said the $250 license fee could “ruin the recycling chain” without deterring copper wire thieves.

“This could be irrevocably catastrophic for our industry,” Byce said, explaining that the license fee could discourage citizens from recycling at facilities and encourage criminals to sell copper wire illegally or outside of Minnesota. “Lawmakers are well-intentioned, and they create laws to try and give law enforcement tools. But unfortunately ... there is a disconnect between lawmakers, law enforcement and the community that’s responsible for collecting all of this stuff.”

Kershaw, the director for St. Paul’s Public Works department, said legislators heard many of the industry’s concerns. Kershaw’s team fixed scores of damaged street lights across the city, and he says thefts slowed down this year thanks to more awareness and citizens’ reports. He believes Minnesota’s law could be the first in the country to address copper theft.

The recycled materials industry wants “to be part of the solution; this doesn’t help their image or their work,” he said. “Some scrap yards we think are part of the solution ... others are much more passive and contributing to the problem,” adding that a provision in the law addressed some industry concerns. That provision lets businesses buy up to $25 of copper from residents without a license on the first Friday of April and October.

“Senator Pappas was very clear about this: We hear the concerns, and we’re choosing to emphasize public safety and addressing a problem that led to a guy and his dog being killed.”

A statement from the Recycled Materials Association, a national trade association representing recycling industry workers, said its members will support authorities and lawmakers when the copper theft law passes. Until the law takes effect, Kershaw’s office plans to raise more awareness about copper theft while trying strategies to stop criminals.

Humphrey and others around Phalen Lake say the city’s efforts are paying off — fewer lights are off now than there were last year. But at the end of the day, Humphrey said, “it’d be nice to have street lights.”