Question:  There seem to be a bunch of streetlights that have gone dark in my neighborhood. What's up?  

Answer:  The company I work for, Republic ITS/Siemens, maintains streetlights for many local agencies.  We have been getting a rash of calls this month to repair streetlights that have gone dark.  In many cases, we are finding that the wires that power the lights have been stolen out of the underground conduits.  

Wire theft has become a pervasive and very expensive problem for many cities since the value of copper has gone up over the last few years.  If you see anyone puling wires out of underground conduits in your neighborhood, whether they look legitimate or not please take a picture of them.  If you notice that your streetlights do not work that night, send the pictures to the Public Works Director of your city.