City Of LA Removing Historic Streetlights Following String of Thefts
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The City of Los Angeles has decided to remove the remaining historic street lights from the Glendale-Hyperion Viaduct, following a string of thefts targeting the lights since September 2021.
The move, announced by the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting, is in an attempt to preserve the remaining lights, which are nearly 100-years-old, dated back to the 1920's.
They had already placed 18 lights into storage as the thefts continued, but the Bureau decided that the best step moving forward is to remove the rest of the lights, in which somewhere between 25 and 35 remain. They estimated that somewhere between 60 and 70 lights adorned the bridge prior to the thefts.
Since September 13, when three lights were stolen over the span of three nights, 22 light fixtures have been stolen.
While temporary lighting has been installed in place of the stolen and removed lights, officials are still working to replace the remaining historic light fixtures with temporary lighting as well.
Los Angeles Public Works released a statement on the removal of the lampposts, "The stolen street lights on the bridge are bronze, and were installed in 1926, making them over 95 years old. The Bureau of Street Lighting has no replacement lights readily available given the age and the solid bronze make of the lamppost, and is working on a long-term replacement plan."
In a response to the string of thefts the Los Angeles Police Department is also working with the Bureau of Street Lighting to investigate.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
