Officials asking for public's help to find copper thieves tampering with Louisville highway lights

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Several light poles are out along Louisville highways, and officials said copper thieves are to blame.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is offering $2,500 to anyone who has information on the roughly 500 light poles across Louisville that have been tampered with.

Have you noticed strings of interstate lights out? @KYTC says it’s likely because of thieves stealing copper wire out of the poles. What KYTC needs from drivers to stop the criminals and what drivers will get in return coming up on @WDRBNews at 11:30. pic.twitter.com/VtHorlCrAx
— Lexie Ratterman (@LRatterman_WDRB) August 31, 2022

Thieves rip off the backs of the bases and remove copper wiring in order to sell it.

"We think these people know what they're doing because we haven't seen any dead bodies on the side of the road from getting electrocuted," said Matt Bullock, chief engineer for the Department of Highways for KYTC District 5.

In the last several months, KYTC representatives have found eight main areas in town that have been hit, including parts of Interstates 64, 65 and 264.

In total, they said upward of 66,000 feet of copper wire has been stolen. That's worth nearly $45,000.

KYTC has contacted police, along with copper recyclers, to whom thieves would sell the wire.

The agency said the person or people stealing wire would either need a machine to remove it, or they would have to hook the wire to a truck to pull it all out since it usually runs 10-20 poles long.

"This is a two-fold dangerous situation," Bullock said. "Not only are the lights dark in these interchanges where we need to have visibility for the traffic, but we know there are very, very high currents flowing through these circuits. And some of these circuits have been tampered with while they're live."

Every time a light needs to be repaired, taxpayers are footing the bill.

KYTC officials said their crews will always be in marked vehicles when doing work. So if you see someone not in a marked vehicle tampering with light poles, call the Louisville Metro Police Department.