Copper wire thieves once again leave Minneapolis communities in the dark
Copper wire theft continues to be a growing issue in Minneapolis, leaving residents in the dark both near Lake of the Isles and in Stevens Square.
"It's been hard with the darkness," said Arden Haug, pastor of Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church.
Most of the lights surrounding Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church have been dark for months.
"We're concerned when people walk out and there is complete darkness out here," said Haug.
Haug said it is a safety issue and an especially big one during Lent.
"We told everyone to keep their Christmas lights on as long as possible," said Haug.
"One night of theft equals about one week of public works repair to follow up on that theft," Park Board Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer told WCCO back in December.
Since then, Shaffer said the problem around Lake of the Isles has gotten even worse.
The city said it had repaired the lighting in both 2023 and 2024 around Lake of the Isles. However, the majority of the wire around the lake has once again been stolen.
Copper wire theft is also a problem in Stevens Square. Neighbors on Clinton Avenue said none of their streetlights work.
A spokesperson with the City of Minneapolis said eight blocks of the neighborhood have suffered streetlight wire damage and theft. All told, roughly 15 miles of below-ground wiring is missing throughout Minneapolis, according to the city, with streetlight wiring repair costs between $30,000 to $40,000 per mile.
The city said they are testing ways to harden the bases of streetlights. They have also used aluminum wire for lights, marked with the message "no scrap value."
Despite the markings, even those wires have been swiped.
"It would be great to have lights. We would also feel a lot safer at night because even though we can think that it's a very safe neighborhood, there's still carjackings, there are people that are concerned about every time they go out at night and park in this neighborhood," said Haug.
