Sarasota County raises red flag over copper wiring thefts

Thieves cutting and digging up underground copper wiring along at least two county roadways are leaving a dangerous situation behind for those behind the wheel, says Stephen Smagacz, Supervisor of Streetlights and Signalization for Sarasota County.

In recent weeks, more than 3 miles of wiring that energizes street lights and traffic signals have been cut and pulled from the ground, Smagacz said. And Sarasota County is not alone. Similar thefts have taken place around the country and, closer to home, in Manatee County, Fort Myers and other Florida cities.

A man in Tucson, Arizona was recently sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution.

Smagacz said Sarasota County initially heard reports of lighting outages along 17th Street and Bahia Vista Street then discovered 7,000 feet of wiring missing in one instance and 9,000 feet missing in another. The missing copper wiring is typically replaced with aluminum cables, which don’t hold as much reselling value.

Image courtesy of Sarasota County

Repairs cost nearly $55,000, according to the county.

“Once they cut out off one light, basically all the lights follow,’’ Smagacz said in a video released by the county. “They’re all in series, so everything behind that will also be out of service. I would imagine they knocked out probably 40 lights each time they did that, which is a large section of the road.’’

Smagacz said law enforcement agencies around the area have been briefed on the cases and he emphasized such thefts put all motorists in greater jeopardy on the road than they'd be under normal nighttime circumstances.

The county urges residents who discover segments of lighting out to call police or the sheriff’s department on the non-emergency number. If they see suspicious activity, particularly at night or in the presence of unmarked vehicles, calling 911 is recommended.

“If you see people pulling wire out of the ground at 2 o’clock in the morning, 3 oclock in the morning, this is not sanctioned by Sarasota County,’’ Smagacz said. “These are people who are up to no good.’’