Studio City Supports Copper Wire Theft Felony Bill

The Studio City Neighborhood Council voted 10 to 0 on May 27, 2026 to support a state bill that would increase penalties for copper wire theft.

In 2024 alone, the Bureau of Street Lighting received around 45,000 service requests, with an estimated 40 percent due to copper wire theft.

Under current state law, the value of stolen copper wire is calculated as the minimal scrap value rather than the full cost of repair and replacement.

As a result, criminals are able to avoid the $950 threshold for felony charges if caught.

Senate Bill 1266 would rectify this by redefining the stolen value as including the full cost of repair and replacement.

The bill would also let prosecutors aggregate thefts to make them felonies against offenders.

The board supports Council File 25-0002-S99 and asked that any report back be held for at least four weeks before going to the full City Council.

Andrew Epstein was absent from the vote.

This post is a summary of the Studio City Neighborhood Council meeting on May 27, 2026. Visit the council page.