Freeway guardrails are now a favorite target of thieves

Rising metal theft and examples

• Commenters report widespread theft of metals beyond guardrails: copper streetlight wiring, bridge lighting, brass plaques and hydrant fixtures, graveyard sculptures, EV charging cables, telecom and power lines, even cobblestones and plumbing.
• Similar anecdotes come from multiple countries (US, Europe, South America, Africa, Australia), with impacts ranging from dark streets to weeks-long train outages and even whole countries briefly offline.

Why now? Causes debated

• Suggested drivers:
  • Higher commodity prices, especially copper/brass, possibly amplified by tariffs.
  • Economic desperation, addiction (meth/fentanyl), and lack of opportunity or social support.
  • Perception that property crime is rarely punished and that local police don’t prioritize it.
  • Dramatic improvements in cordless power tools (recip saws, angle grinders, battery cut-off saws) that make infrastructure fast and quiet to cut, tools which are often stolen themselves.
• Some argue drugs and mental health issues are the main cause; others emphasize inequality, institutional decay, and weak social safety nets. There is disagreement on which factor dominates.

Economics and incentives

• Scrap value is low compared with repair costs, but often sufficient for an addict or someone living extremely cheaply; examples given of earning tens or hundreds of dollars for minutes of work (catalytic converters, EV cables).
• Guardrail repair numbers in the article are seen as small in the context of overall public budgets, but still large relative to the thieves’ take.
• Some note that “legit” curbside scrap-scavenging is common and useful, contrasting with destructive infrastructure theft.

Infrastructure and material choices

• Discussion of why LA uses aluminum guardrails: softer impact behavior and corrosion resistance vs galvanized steel, though some say steel can be engineered to be equally “soft.”
• Officials are reportedly considering fiberglass/composite rails and aluminum instead of copper wiring to remove scrap value.
• EV chargers, power lines, and railway cables are frequent targets; some operators already use aluminum cables or design de-energized systems to reduce danger and attractiveness.

Scrapyards, fencing, and enforcement

• Many argue thieves are just one link; the real chokepoint is scrapyards and intermediaries willing to buy obviously stolen material.
• Proposed responses: strict ID requirements, bans or heavy regulation on buying certain items, major fines, or even criminal liability for yards that accept suspect loads.
• Others note the volume and randomness of legitimate scrap (e.g., damaged guardrails, HVAC units, industrial scrap) makes perfect screening difficult; thieves can route through licensed “scrappers” or shops that fabricate paperwork.
• UK-style ID rules and prior US crackdowns are cited; results are mixed, with theft shifting rather than disappearing.

Broader societal interpretations

• Several comments frame the phenomenon as “third world behavior” or a symptom of societal decline: inequality, eroding institutions, and underfunded public services.
• Others push back, saying theft exists in rich countries too and is more about addiction, impulsivity, or thrill-seeking than pure poverty.
• A recurring theme: it’s often cheaper to prevent destitution than to repair the damage caused by those driven (or enabled) to strip public infrastructure for scrap.