NewsYourobserverJune 23, 2026Sarasota County
Sarasota County reports surge in copper wire theft from streetlights
Sarasota County officials report that thieves have stolen over three miles of copper wiring from streetlights and traffic signals, creating hazardous driving conditions. The county is replacing the stolen copper with aluminum to deter future thefts and is asking residents to report suspicious activity.
Read the full story at YourobserverWhy It Matters
The theft of copper wiring has caused lighting outages on major roadways and resulted in $55,000 in repair costs for Sarasota County taxpayers.
Key Facts
- Over 3 miles of copper wiring have been stolen from Sarasota County roadways in recent weeks.
- The thefts have caused streetlights and traffic signals to go out of service.
- Repair costs for the damage total nearly $55,000.
- The county is replacing stolen copper wiring with aluminum cables, which have lower resale value.
- Two specific locations identified with outages are 17th Street and Bahia Vista Street.
- The thefts involved the removal of 7,000 feet of wire in one instance and 9,000 feet in another.
- Streetlights are wired in series, meaning one cut can disable approximately 40 lights.
- Residents are advised to call non-emergency police lines for outages and 911 for suspicious activity at night.
Who's Mentioned
organizationSarasota County“Local government entity managing the affected infrastructure”locationTucson, Arizona“Location of a related criminal sentencing”locationFort Myers“City experiencing similar thefts”locationManatee County“Nearby location experiencing similar thefts”personStephen Smagacz“Supervisor of Streetlights and Signalization for Sarasota County”