A key communications tower in Los Angeles, California, was damaged in late December 2025, bringing down radio communications for several local government departments.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the tower in Elysian Park was damaged by two suspected copper thieves who were apprehended on December 27 as they attempted to strip the tower of materials.

The damage left LA Department of Transportation officers unable to use their radios for communication to call for assistance, and the emergency buttons were unusable for two days. Police radio was not impacted.

Colin Sweeney, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, told the LA Times via email: “Out of an abundance of caution, traffic officers were withdrawn from staffing special events and dispatch to service calls. Limited staffing did remain on duty to continue testing radio communication in the event that service was restored.”

The Information Technology Agency of LA handled repairs, and also sought alternative communications solutions for those impacted. All operations were resumed by Tuesday, December 30.

Los Angeles has faced several such copper theft incidents. In October 2025, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill aiming to crack down on theft. An AT&T copper vault had been struck earlier in the year, taking down services for thousands of nearby residents.

Also in October, $50,000 in copper wire stolen from a telephone pole in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles was recovered. The theft impacted Frontier and AT&T customers. Two suspects have been charged with grand theft.

The issue is not isolated to California. Multiple US states have seen similar copper theft issues, and it is also impacting countries around the world.

Read more about attacks on telecoms infrastructure and how operators are responding here.