Shining Light On Dark Street Lights

425 street lights are dark in Colorado Springs. Viewer Shaun Kalbfleish asked what’s the deal? I investigated and got him and you answers.

The 425 damaged lights are on business streets in Colorado Springs. Copper thieves have gutted the insides of the big lights. I went to 21st St. in west Colorado Springs to see the damage. 19 street lights in a row were torn apart on the bottom of the big poles for their copper.

Bryan Babcock with Colorado Springs Utilities tells me the cost to repair each fixture is $2,000. He says the value of the copper is less than $100. Utilities hopes that by the end of next year, all 425 copper hit lights will be repaired. Each time a light is repaired, a theft deterrent system is put on the light. Currently, thieves have not been able to open one of these new and improved lights and steal the copper inside.

Residential neighborhoods have not been hit by the copper thieves like the business areas. Babcock believes one reason is neighborhood watches and more people keeping an eye out for each other.