Posted on 04/20/2024 7:02:14 PM PDT by thecodont
Lake Merritt is one of Oakland’s loveliest spots, especially during the evening golden hour when the “Necklace of Lights”comes to life around the lake. But over the last few weeks, the 126 ornate lampposts that anchor the lake’s signature circle of lights have been the target of vandalism.
The city believes thieves are toppling and stealing the almost century-old lampposts and ripping out the wires from the boxes at the bases. It’s a local chapter of a story happening around the country as valuable metals inside the lampposts are harvested for later resale.
Jean Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Oakland City Administrator’s Office, told SFGATE in an email that 10 lampposts “are down due to a combination of fallen trees and vandalism.” Additionally, the lighting boxes of approximately 40 other light poles were broken into.
She said “repairs are a top priority” and will include installing temporary lampposts while a vendor manufactures permanent replacements. In the vandalized lampposts still standing, she said, crews will replace the missing wires and reinforce the boxes with cement to guard against vandalism.
Walsh said replacement poles are expected to cost $15,000 each and that repairs are underway. As of April 17, “we have completed roughly 25% of the identified damage so far though we are finding more damage and stolen wire as we make repairs.”
When SFGATE visited the lake on a sunny Thursday morning, stumps of severed lampposts were easy to spot after just a few minutes. Walsh did not speculate as to how people have successfully cut off the stolen poles, but the visible clean break indicates that they used powerful tools to do so. (In Pasadena, authorities told the Los Angeles Times that thieves may have toppled similar lampposts made of bronze using chains pulled by trucks.)
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I keep thinking that’s why they allow this crime so in the future we can have cameras everywhere like London or ChinA, it’ll be for our safety.
Regards,
The “velocity of money.”
It is a shame in another way... if any state needs lots of lamp posts it is California.
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