Gilroy is considering hiring overnight security to address an increase in costly copper wire theft from public parks. City Finance Director Christina Turner recently recommended City Council consider budgeting $60,000 for fiscal year 2015 to provide year-round, overnight security that would patrol all city parks.
According to local and federal authorities, copper wire theft has reached epidemic levels in Gilroy and across Santa Clara County. It’s an expensive problem to have, since cities are on the hook for much more than simply replacing the stolen wiring.
“People target parks and other public facilities because they have copper wire,” Councilman and former San Benito County Deputy District Attorney Peter Leroe-Muñoz said. “You have installation costs, new material costs, additional staff time and the downtime for the community when they can’t use certain public facilities.”
The latest significant incidence of the crime in Gilroy took place in early November, when thieves made off with nearly 2,000-feet of copper wire from Christmas Hill Park. After opening electrical boxes along the pathway, snipping the ends of the wire and reeling it in, they rendered it unsafe to walk along at night.
The same thieves also opened the pull boxes along the softball field in the park and stripped essential wiring. Those light fixtures have since been repaired, but contractors will be installing anti-theft measures and completing the re-wiring project at a cost of more than $70,000, according to Operations Manager David Stubchaer.
In January, thieves took roughly 2,700-feet of copper wire from 15 streetlights and underground boxes from a southwest Morgan Hill neighborhood. San Jose experienced theft of copper wire underground on a major highway in February.
Typically, copper-insulated wiring is sold on the scrap metal recycling market-once the plastic has been melted off-for roughly $3 per pound.
“It’s a big problem,” Leroe-Muñoz said. “It was a big problem in San Benito County when I was deputy district attorney. It’s obviously a big problem here in Gilroy.”
Local authorities say having an attentive community, willing to call if suspicions are aroused-a van or truck sitting in a city park long past closing time-can be the best preventive measure. But Leroe-Muñoz points to a line between an alert neighborhood watchman and someone trained to deal with criminals.
“Having people directly engaged with people who might be actively stealing copper wire or trying to get away from the scene where they’ve done that poses all kinds of legal and public safety issues,” he said.
City Council is expected to discuss overnight parks security in the coming months.
