LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On sunny mid-October afternoons, lighting isn't an issue for businesses near Fremont Street and St. Louis Avenue in east Las Vegas.
For months prior, once the sun went down, those businesses were left in the dark without working street lights.
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Arts District business urges officials to address copper theft across the valley
That's not the case anymore— a new Clark County pilot program is helping keep the lights on and fight back against costly copper wire theft with new solar-powered LED street lights lining St. Louis Avenue east of Fremont Street.
AutoMax car dealership is located next to the new lights and sales manager, Mario Torres, said he worried about his customers and employees before the new lights were installed.
"It was a little bit dangerous because if you walked a little to the east or the south, it wasn't very lit," Torres said.
In early August, Clark County Public Works crews flipped the switch and installed 12 of the new solar street lights hoping they could eventually replace traditional street lights that rely on oft-stolen copper wire.
"When you have that [less copper theft] it's a good thing because it gives these thieves less of a reason to knock down the lights," Torres said.
More than a million feet of copper wire has been stolen county-wide since 2022, something Channel 13 has covered extensively this year.
Channel 13's Guy Tannenbaum checked out the lights last week after dark and they seemed brighter than a normal street light— the contrast was especially noticeable because several of the traditional lights nearby were out.
Early reviews from businesses are positive.
It's a good move. It's better for our customers, it's better for the public, it's better in general.
Clark County Commissioner, Michael Naft, is hopeful for the future of the solar lights in the valley, especially because he said they're already in use at Searchlight.
The technology is advancing very quickly, and I believe eventually it will be the solution. It'll be the cheaper solution, the more efficient solution and harder for people to steal.
Naft wasn't able to provide a specific timeline but expects it'll take some time before the tens of thousands of light poles around Clark County are fully switched to solar.
Solar lights aren't the only thing officials are doing to try and counter the copper wire theft conundrum.
"We're welding the boxes shut, where there's been repeat offenses we're hanging the wire from the top of the pole to make it harder to steal," Naft said.
Naft also mentioned they're considering hiring outside contractors to create a team dedicated to repairing damaged lights, plus county commissioners introduced an ordinance aimed at making it harder for copper wire to be resold at their October 15 meeting.
"It's going to remove the illegal market, I hope, as well as stepping up our enforcement with our partners in law enforcement," Naft said.
However, Torres thinks the solar lights are the best solution to the issue long term.
"I wish that these solar lights would be everywhere else because whatever program they're on is working for us," Torres said.
A county spokesperson said each one of the solar lights installed as part of this particular pilot program at St. Louis Avenue and Fremont Street costs about $5,600 a piece, which they say is comparable to a traditional streetlight.
The county is evaluating the quality of the light, durability of the technology, maintenance necessary and whether or not the lights are less likely to be vandalized— though it's not clear when the results of the pilot program will be known.
If street lights aren't working in your neighborhood, the county says to file an online report with "Fix It Clark County," and be as specific as you possibly can, in order to help expedite the process. Naft also recommends following up by calling or emailing your commissioner.
The county adds if you see someone actively stealing copper wire, call 911, as that's considered a crime in progress. If you see remnants of copper wire theft but don't see the theft actively taking place, they suggest you call 311, or report it to Crime Stoppers.
