In an effort to combat the widespread problem of copper wire theft in the Las Vegas Valley, the Clark County Commission adopted an ordinance today to curb the sale of stolen copper wire at recycling plants and scrap yards.

The ordinance, proposed by Commissioner Michael Naft, prohibits the purchase of seven-strand copper wire commonly used in municipal or utility operations unless sellers provide documentation that verifies the wire was lawfully acquired. It also makes it illegal for businesses to purchase scrap metal from walk-up sellers and prohibits cash payments for copper wire. The ordinance aligns county code with existing state law and ordinances adopted by neighboring jurisdictions to discourage wire theft.

“This ordinance is an important tool in our efforts to crack down on the widespread problem of copper wire theft that is leaving our neighborhoods in the dark and costing taxpayers a fortune,” said Commissioner Naft. “If you can’t sell stolen wire, there’s no reason to steal it. I want to thank our industry and community partners for working with us to strengthen our local ordinances to deal with costly crime.”

Clark County’s Public Works Department estimates that nearly 1 million feet of streetlight wiring has been stolen since 2022, with more than $1.5 million replaced during that time. Clark County’s efforts to combat wire theft have included welding shut access covers, installing lock covers, installing wiring overhead instead of underground to make access more difficult, and installing aluminum wiring instead of copper because it has less value and may be less of a target for theft. The Public Works Department also initiated a pilot program to test the viability of installing solar streetlights in some areas of the Las Vegas Valley.

“Staff from our Public Works Department is working to keep the streetlights on every day in our local neighborhoods, but thefts continue,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom. “This ordinance will make it harder for thieves to sell stolen wire, and we hope it will make our streetlights less of a target for theft and vandalism.”

Clark County has produced fliers in English and Spanish to educate the public about how to spot and report wire theft. The fliers and a video showing efforts to combat the problem is posted on the Public Works Department’s pages of the County’s website at https://tinyurl.com/284zhsa2.   
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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability.  With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 11th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to 2.4 million citizens and 45.6 million visitors a year (2023). Included are the nation’s 5th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.