A truck and a large chain: Thieves make off with Pasadena’s bronze light poles

Thieves have stolen nearly a dozen bronze light poles in the city of Pasadena in the last few weeks, with some of the iconic fixtures dating back more than a century.

The light poles line Orange Grove Boulevard and cast a warm glow on the street every 30 feet. Once a year, the street plays host to Rose Parade floats as they line up to turn onto Colorado Boulevard.

But a suspect or suspects with other designs for the light poles have managed to topple them and drive off with the fixtures, according to Pasadena spokesperson Lisa Derderian.

In a recent failed attempt, a thief strapped a large chain around one of the poles and tried to pull it out with a truck. But a local resident saw what was happening and called police. The thief left behind their chain, according to authorities. There have been no arrests made, and there is no description of a suspect vehicle.

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The first reported incident happened between March 29 and April 1, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release. Other thefts occurred on April 4 or 5 and April 8 between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m. Derderian said.

The city of Pasadena has marked area where a bronze street lamp post was stolen along Orange Grove Blvd. in Pasadena.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

First erected in the 1920s, the poles were targeted in a similar wave of thefts more than a decade ago, according to city officials. Thieves have also targeted copper wire and bronze plaques in the city, as in Los Angeles and other locales. But the light poles are the most glaring thefts, leaving behind a knot of electrical wiring and dark divots in the concrete where the poles had stood.

“There is no easy way to vandal-proof these,” Derderian said. “Since these poles are historic, they are difficult to find, so we’ve been replacing them with replicas.”

A replacement pole costs about $1,600, she said, and a stolen one commands an estimated $400 on the scrap metal market.

Anyone who has information about the thefts or has seen anything suspicious is encouraged to call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-6492 or (626) 744-4501.

The light poles join a growing list of bronze items stolen in recent months, probably for their scrap value.

In February, Los Angeles Port Police arrested three people in connection to a string of bronze plaque thefts in Long Beach and the surrounding area. A bronze plaque stolen from Terminal Island that honors members of the local Japanese American fishing community who were imprisoned during World War II is still missing. Thieves have also stolen more than a hundred gravestone plaques from a cemetery in Carson.

In January, thieves also made off with a plaque commemorating the history of Bruce’s Beach in Manhattan Beach. The plaque was pried off a large plinth about a year after it was installed, according to police. The plaque acknowledged the racist history of Manhattan Beach and how the city drove out the Black family that owned the land.