Milwaukee officials are taking a firm stand against a wave of copper wire thefts that have left neighborhoods in the dark and cost the city more than $830,000. Mayor Cavalier Johnson told reporters that the thefts are not victimless crimes; they burden taxpayers and jeopardize public safety.

Scope of the problem

According to the Department of Public Works (DPW), the city has experienced close to 250 theft incidents over the past two years. In August alone, DPW crews responded to 77 of roughly 150 circuit outages, all linked to stolen copper. The loss of streetlights forces residents to navigate poorly lit streets, increasing the risk of accidents and crime.

Charges filed

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against three men:

• Alvin Harris, 51, faces charges including fleeing police, two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property, two counts of conspiracy to commit theft, and possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
• Daryll Horton, 57, is charged with three counts of criminal damage to property and two counts of felony bail jumping.
• Mario Gill, 55, is charged with criminal damage to property and theft.

Each defendant is accused of participating in multiple copper‑wire thefts targeting the city’s underground streetlight circuits.

How the thefts occurred

Police investigations reveal a pattern: suspects accessed underground vaults and the base panels of light poles, cutting or removing copper wire and fleeing the scene. Court filings detail five separate incidents from mid‑August to mid‑October, including:

• August 14 – A suspect was seen pulling wire from the ground near 15th and Atkinson, stealing about 2.5 reels of copper valued at $1,020.
• September 9 – Two men fled in a dark Chevrolet SUV after damaging junction boxes near 66th and Custer, stealing copper from multiple streetlight poles.
• October 1 – Surveillance captured a man tampering with a vault while a blue Chevrolet Tahoe parked nearby; investigators identified the driver as Harris and a second suspect as Horton, resulting in the theft of 1,000 feet of wire worth $4,150.
• October 10 – Horton was caught on camera walking away with roughly 750 feet of copper wire valued at $3,112.50.
• October 13 – Gill was arrested after detectives observed him pulling a large section of insulated wire from a Nissan Altima; receipts from a scrapyard linked the copper to the city’s DPW.

Impact on city services

DPW electricians report that the thefts double their workload, diverting resources away from essential upgrades and maintenance. The damaged circuits must be shut down and inspected before power can be safely restored, further delaying repairs and increasing costs.

Mayor’s response

Mayor Johnson emphasized that the city will not tolerate these crimes. “When streetlights are out, our neighbors are left in the dark,” he said. “We are working closely with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice and to protect our neighborhoods.” He also urged residents to report suspicious activity and to support the city’s efforts to secure vulnerable infrastructure.

Looking ahead

The city plans to increase surveillance of high‑risk areas, improve lighting security measures, and pursue stricter penalties for repeat offenders. By addressing the thefts head‑on, Milwaukee hopes to restore reliable street lighting, reduce municipal expenses, and keep families safe after dark.

Original reporting: FOX6 WITI – local news — read the source article.