Overview
- Residents and CBS LA documented pried-open utility boxes and darkened blocks along Wilshire Boulevard between Highland and Crenshaw, with another unlit stretch between Cloverdale and Detroit.
- Neighbors said they have filed outage reports since last spring without fixes, and the city says typical streetlight repairs take nine to 12 months.
- City data from last fall showed more than 37,000 streetlight repair requests, about 15% of the system affected, and nearly half of service calls linked to wire theft.
- A CBS investigation estimated roughly $2.5 million spent on rewiring and related fixes, and officials say a single pole can cost up to $2,000.
- Police said an apparent copper theft on Jan. 7 led to a fatal electrocution and temporarily cut power to approximately 2,500 homes.