Police in Miramar are asking for the public's help in reporting thieves who are posing as workers to steal copper wire from city streetlights.
"They're wearing the safety vests so they kind of fit in, white trucks, white vans so as you're driving by you think it's a normal construction worker," Miramar Police Det. Erik Conway said.
The thefts are not only hitting the pocketbooks of taxpayers, they're also creating dangerous conditions for drivers and pedestrians.
On one stretch of Miramar Parkway, about five lights in a row are out of commission thanks to the thieves, city officials said.
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"What normally happens is that they cut the wire, you’ll notice these wires are cut, these wires go to the pole," Miramar Operations Superintendent Steven Hastings said. "So they cut off these wires from the pole and then they will go to the next section, cut off those wires and they’ll just pull off the wires."
Hastings said the thefts have cost the city over $150,000 to replace the materials and pay for contractor work.
Local scrap metal businesses say copper is going for about $3 a pound right now, and that they're required to take sellers' identification, finger prints and signatures.
But one worker said it can be hard to tell where the copper comes from.
Police are asking anyone who spots suspicious activity like fake repair workers operating after normal business hours to call 954-764-4357.
