Reward doubled to $5000 to catch copper wire thieves on Kentucky interstates

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has doubled the reward being offered in the battle against thieves who have been stealing copper wire from interstate highway lighting systems.

The offer is now $5,000 for information leading to arrests and prosecution of the thieves, whose crimes already have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. 

The Louisville area has been especially hard hit. KYTC officials estimate that thieves there have stripped light poles and junction boxes of about 94,000 feet of copper wire – nearly 18 miles' worth. The cost to replace the stolen wire in Jefferson County alone is close to $380,000.

Copper wire theft from highway lights endangers the public and puts motorists at risk. In 2018, a Kansas City woman in a motorized wheelchair was struck and killed on a dark stretch of highway that had wire stripped from its light poles.

The thieves also run a risk of electrocution from high voltage in the lines.

"Even if thieves only steal a portion of the wire, we have to replace the entire length of the wire within the conduit run because the wire can't be reconnected," said District 5 Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock. 

In 2014, a rash of copper wire thefts occurred along interstates and parkways in central Kentucky. A $2,500 reward was offered by KYTC and Kentucky State Police, prompting an informant to come forward. Two residents of Clark County ultimately were arrested, indicted and pleaded guilty to a combination of misdemeanor and felony theft charges. 

Culprits break into lighting systems and junction boxes to pull, cut and strip the wires. They often look to sell the scrap metal to recycling facilities in and out of the state. With damage exceeding $3,000, the thief or thieves could face Class D felony charges, which carry possible prison sentences of five to 10 years. To deter theft, state law requires recycling centers to obtain identification of sellers and a certified statement as to the sources of the scrap metal being sold.