New legislation further targets copper thieves
The author of a new law to combat metal theft in California has introduced further legislation designed to bolster enforcement efforts.
Last month, Assemblymember Mark González (D – Los Angeles) introduced AB 1941, a follow-on bill that would add to the work he started last year with Assembly Bill 476, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law last October.
AB 476 set its sights on recyclers and junk dealers, codifying the types of information they have to collect from people trying to sell used metal. For example, recyclers must collect and record detailed seller information (ID, address, signature), vehicle license numbers, exact transaction times, prices paid, and signed ownership statements for items like copper and utility wire.
AB 1941 would strengthen that, targeting repeat and organized offenders who steal copper and other materials; it would also create a statewide database to give law enforcement increased visibility into organized metal theft rings.
“This bill sends a clear message,” González said in a news release. “If you treat our neighborhoods as salvage, if you destroy our infrastructure for some quick cash, if you endanger our community with these senseless crimes, there will be consequences.”
González called copper wire theft “a modern-day plague.”
In Fresno County, it’s a full-blown epidemic, costing an estimated $3 million a year in damage. Industries from telecommunications to electricity to construction have felt the sting.
Just a few weeks ago, nearly 6,000 Comcast customers in northeast Fresno were without service for several hours because of someone cutting fiber lines looking for copper.
Last October, a Huron man was arrested after detectives found more than half ton of copper wire and high voltage electrical panel components in the man’s storage facility.
And in 2024, thieves ripped copper pipe from the drywall of the Fresno Mission Family Center, which at the time was under construction; the vandals also stole copper out of fiber lines, amounting to about $300,000 in damage.
In April 2025, things got so bad that Fresno County and the City of Fresno each passed ordinances designed to target copper wire thieves by making it illegal for unauthorized individuals to possess more than 10 pounds of wiring without its protective sheathing.
The ag industry is also a major target for copper thieves, said fourth-generation farmer Nick Rocca.
“With all the equipment that has copper in it,” Rocca said, “copper wire theft remains chief among the ag community’s concerns.”
Irrigation pumps, electrical panels, and fencing often contain large amounts of copper. Interruptions in irrigation can reduce yield, creating long term losses for growers. Thieves can remove wire in minutes, but repairing the damage can take weeks and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“We are very thankful to Assemblymember González for bringing this forward,” Rocca said. “It’s going to make a big difference.”
For more updates on Fresno County development and business initiatives, stay connected with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
