HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB 476 (Gonzalez) Metal Theft - City of SLO - Request for SIGNATURECity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114,
slocity.org
September 19, 2025
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of the State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 476 (Gonzalez) Metal Theft.
Request for SIGNATURE
Dear Governor Newsom,
The City of San Luis Obispo is pleased to support AB 476 (Gonzalez), which enhances enforcement
measures against copper wire theft. This legislation is a crucial step toward protecting California’s
public infrastructure and ensuring the safety and functionality of essential services that communities
like ours rely on daily.
In the City of San Luis Obispo, copper wire theft has impacted critical public infrastructure, including
streetlights, traffic signal systems, and irrigation control for city parks. These crimes not only pose
serious safety hazards but also impose significant repair costs on the City’s limited budget and delay
essential services to residents and businesses.
The consequences of copper wire theft are far-reaching:
• Streetlight Tampering: Our community has experienced theft-related outages that have left
key pedestrian and vehicular corridors in the dark, especially in areas near schools, public
parks, and residential neighborhoods—creating real safety concerns.
• Fire Protection System Compromise: Tampering with fire protection equipment, including
hydrant connectors and wiring, has interfered with our emergency response infrastructure,
which is critical in a wildfire-prone region like ours.
• Manhole Cover Theft: Stolen covers in recent years have posed serious hazards to drivers
and cyclists in high-traffic areas.
• Backflow Device Damage: Copper theft has also led to costly repairs in our public water
system, impacting the reliability of safe drinking water and irrigation systems.
The financial burden of repairing and replacing stolen infrastructure components falls on taxpayers,
utility providers, and municipalities, draining resources that could otherwise be used for community
development and essential services. AB 476 provides much-needed enforcement tools to deter
copper wire theft and hold perpetrators accountable for the harm they cause to public safety and
infrastructure reliability.
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo strongly supports AB 476 (Gonzalez).
Sincerely,
Erica A. Stewart
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
Cc: Assemblymember Dawn Addis
Senator John Laird
Dave Mullinax, League of California Cities
League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org