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Parts of Cleveland in the dark after thieves steal thousands of feet of streetlight wiring
Slavic Village in Cleveland is grappling with safety concerns as copper thieves leave neighborhood streetlights dark, affecting businesses and even youth sports.
CLEVELAND — Large sections of Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood have been left in the dark for months after thieves ripped out thousands of feet of copper wiring from city streetlights, according to city officials and residents.
When a 3News crew visited the area, we saw it firsthand. As soon as dusk fell, most streetlights along Broadway Avenue stayed off. On one side of the street, lights flickered on; on the other, darkness.
Residents and business owners say the outage has changed how they move through the community — and they’re worried about safety.
“It kind of affects me in a way because customers don’t want to walk in here and walk out and it’s a dark spot outside,” said Rami Odetallah, owner of Smoker’s Studio. “They don’t want to get robbed or whatever it is.”
Ward 12 City Councilwoman Rebecca Maurer says she was stunned to learn thieves were behind the problem.
“Oh my gosh, we have been struggling for the last six months in Slavic Village with thefts of copper wires that have been connecting all the streetlights along Broadway,” Maurer said. “Four thousand feet of copper wire is what we have been told has been ripped out of underground conduits between the different street lights.”
City leaders say about 70 poles along Broadway Avenue were damaged. While some repairs have been made, thieves appear to be breaking into pull boxes and ripping out wires containing scrap metal like copper.
The darkness has even sidelined youth sports: The Southside Seahawks football team stopped practicing at Morgana Park this fall because there were no lights. Coach Jamal Sanni says they hope to return under the lights soon.
Maurer says she’s pushing Cleveland Public Power for answers.
“We need to get these street lights turned back on and we need CPP to offer the neighborhood clarity about whether they’re going to re-line all that copper wire, whether they restring it,” she said. “Give the neighborhood a date that we can be accountable to and make sure that these lights get turned on by 2026.”
3News reached out to Cleveland Public Power for comment, but has not yet heard back. In the meantime, Maurer says she wants a full investigation into the thefts.