Closing copper wire theft loophole takes unique cooperation in Fresno area | Opinion
Elected leaders in Fresno County and the City of Fresno aren’t exactly known for collaboration and cooperation.
Fact is, they usually spend more time sniping at each other like bickering children than working together to solve overlapping issues.
Perhaps all the county supervisors and city council members needed was a common adversary to direct their rhetoric and legislative energies. This week they found one: copper wire thieves.
Two days after the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to stiffen penalties for scrap metal thieves who target businesses and commercial properties, the Fresno City Council piled on Thursday with a similar ordinance that is even more punitive. (A second vote is required for it to go into effect.)
“The copper wire ordinance is designed to combat the growing and costly issue of copper wire and metal theft,” said Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld, who co-sponsored the county’s ordinance with Supervisor Nathan Magsig.
“This is not merely a property crime. It’s a pervasive and destructive offense that has resulted in millions of damages in business, farms and critical infrastructure across Fresno County.”
Copper wire thievery is certainly not unique to this region, nor is it a new phenomenon. A decade ago, when street lights throughout Fresno started to go dark, the city encased in concrete 24,000 ground pull boxes (at $25 per street light) to prevent thieves from stripping their wiring.
Despite state laws that require metal recyclers to record every transaction, obtain documentation from each seller and place a three-day hold on all payments over $20, the problem has nowhere near subsided. According to a county staff report, scrap metal scavenging and thefts caused in excess of $3 million in damages to commercial operations during 2023.
In recent years, for example, copper wire thieves caused extensive damage to the newly constructed Fresno Mission City Center on Gettysburg Avenue, the new Fresno City College campus in southwest Fresno and to a solar panel farm that services the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus.
“The message that we want to make loud and clear to criminals out there is there’s nowhere safe in the Central Valley, so stop committing these crimes,” Magsig said.
Penalties for copper wire possession
Under Fresno County’s new ordinance, it will be illegal for anyone (except representatives of a licensed business) to receive, possess or transport more than 10 pounds of commercial grade wire stripped of its protective sheathing. Violators would face a misdemeanor charge that carries a penalty of up to 30 days in jail, plus fines of $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second offense within 12 months and $1,000 for a third.
The city’s new ordinance also sets a 10-pound limit for the possession of copper wiring, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 as well as an additional fine equal to the cost to repair or replace the wiring.
Huh. I thought Democrats were supposedly softer on crime than Republicans.
Speaking to the media Tuesday, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni called the county’s measure a “very critical” new tool for his deputies who were unable to make arrests for copper wire thefts unless they could prove the wiring was stolen.
“We see them with what we know is stolen property, but it can’t be proven so they get released and on their way,” Zanoni said. “With this new ordinance, if you’re in possession (of more than 10 pounds of wiring) you can be arrested for a misdemeanor, subject to civil penalties as well and a fine.”
Copper wire thieves who cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to local businesses, farms, commercial properties, electric vehicle recharge stations and street lights so they can collect $10 for their next meth hit or bottle of Boone’s Farm don’t deserve sympathy. Personally, I don’t have any issue with stiffer penalties and eliminating loopholes that allow them to escape prosecution.
DA warns of state law conflicts
However, the state of California might. Although she supports “the intent” of the county’s ordinance, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp cautioned it may not hold up in court and could subject the county to a lawsuit from the state attorney general.
“Our community has suffered too long from the criminal activity surrounding wire theft, and stronger penalties are absolutely necessary to deter these crimes,” Smittcamp said in a statement sent to local media.
“However, it’s important to recognize that this ordinance may conflict with existing state law. As such, the District Attorney’s Office has a legal and ethical obligation to ensure that any enforcement of the ordinance does not violate state preemption laws.”
Current state laws regarding metal theft focus on recycling centers rather than the actual thieves. A current bill sponsored by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) proposes additional requirements to ensure the sellers of copper wiring and scrap metal are in lawful possession of these materials.
While this tactic would seem to make sense from a 10,000-foot level, it obviously isn’t working because such crimes continue to plague communities throughout the state. Clearly, another approach is needed.
Fresno County and the City of Fresno are taking that approach, and what’s more they’re taking it in coordination with each other. Which may prove just as important, if not more, than anything else that results from these respective actions.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
