LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5)—More neighborhoods are going dark across the valley as copper wire thieves target light poles for the pricey product.
fox5′s sean dowling is out near desert inn and hualapai – after hearing from residents in the area who just want to see the lights on again.
streetlights
The latest section in Summerlin is along Desert Inn and Hualapai, heading west to Town Center Drive.
FOX5 counted over a dozen streetlights that need repairs.
15-year resident Margaret Fearns explained she knows this all too well. “They’ve been out for a really long time. We actually have tried to contact FixIt and sent pictures” Fearns said. “We have done that to no avail. There’s not a street light that has been fixed.”
Fearns is talking about the FixIt Clark County app and website.
The public works department confirmed the outage in this area was caused by copper wire theft.
While leaders have expressed they’re happy with the repairing progress.
Some residents like Fearns are not too pleased.
“It’s been months,” Fearns said.
In those months, county officials have told us they’re making progress.
The public works department says nearly 1 million feet of wiring has been stolen since 20-22.
The county has replaced more than 1.5 million worth of the pricey product during that time.
However, there are about 200 locations in the valley where wire theft must be repaired.
According to reports, that’s down from about 300 this spring.
While numbers have improved, that response does not sit well with Fearns.
“Since this spring?!! It’s october, it’s fall,” Fearns expressed her disdain for the issue. “No, that should be that should have been done within two months. Not waiting this long, now it’s getting darker and darker earlier.”
County officials say they have a goal of responding to requests in a timely manner based on available staffing, materials and the high volume of locations dealing with copper wire theft.
But some have shared that time is precisely what they do not have.
“You have a lot of people [who] are getting home from work late, like I do, and want to go for a walk. and I actually stay in my development now, because it’s too dark.”Fearns shared.
“I actually put my phone on from my like, my light on my phone and also on my watch so someone can see me. I’m afraid to cross the street and get hit.” Fearns added.
The county says the public works department works to keep the streetlights on and makes repairs daily, but new locations of wire theft continue to occur.
In response to the copper wire thefts, the county have placed copper wire in difficult-to-reach locations to prevent thieves from stealing it.
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