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The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is placing 700-pound concrete blocks over access covers for streetlight wiring to deter copper theft. RIDOT says the effort has worked so far; 87 of 151 planned blocks have been installed, at a reported program cost of $75,000. The state says theft losses exceed $1 million, but the timeframe for that figure was not specified.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is placing 700-pound concrete blocks over access covers for streetlight wiring to make copper theft harder. RIDOT Interim Director Robert Rocchio told NBC 10 WJAR that the state has lost more than $1 million in stolen copper; the agency plans 151 blocks and had installed 87 when the report was published.
RIDOT began installing the blocks over the previous few months, according to the report. The heavy covers require equipment to move, unlike ordinary access covers, which thieves could open to reach the wiring. Rocchio said the measure has worked so far, although the report does not provide a theft count or a detailed evaluation period for that assessment.
The total reported program cost is $75,000. The report says WJAR corrected its written story after an accompanying video segment incorrectly cited a cost of $750,000. Where the blocks are placed near roads, they are buried or ground down so they sit flush; in other locations, they remain visible above ground.
RIDOT’s stated target is 151 installations, leaving 64 to complete based on the reported count. The agency has not provided a schedule for finishing the remaining work in the material available here. Rocchio did not specify the period covered by the state’s reported losses of more than $1 million.
How the Blocks Protect Streetlight Wiring
Copper theft can leave streetlights without power and require public agencies to replace wiring and restore service repeatedly. RIDOT’s approach is intended to make access more difficult by adding a substantial physical barrier, rather than relying only on repairs after theft. If the measure continues to deter access, it could reduce both repeat repair work and the time lights remain out, though the available report does not quantify those effects.
The reported $75,000 cost and the state’s estimate of more than $1 million in losses offer a sense of the scale of the response, but they are not directly comparable without knowing the timeframe or what the loss figure includes. Residents and road users may also encounter visible concrete barriers where the blocks are not buried or leveled.
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A Repeated Copper-Theft Problem
Rocchio told WJAR that the thefts began a few years ago, when copper prices rose significantly, and described a recurring cycle: RIDOT restores wiring, then thieves take the copper again. His account explains the agency’s decision to restrict access, but the report does not provide a precise start date, annual totals, or a breakdown of affected locations.
The report places Rhode Island’s efforts within a broader pattern of copper-wire theft. It cites examples from Philadelphia, where stolen wiring left a youth football team practicing in darkness, and California, where AT&T recorded 4,300 thefts of its own wire in the previous year. Those examples show that the problem extends beyond streetlights and Rhode Island, but they are separate cases and do not establish a national total.
AT&T has promoted an awareness campaign and offered rewards for information in multiple states, according to the report. Scott Gonzaga, from the company’s construction and engineering division, described a method used by some thieves: cutting cable, moving it to another location, stripping its outer covering and burning it to expose the copper before selling or recycling the metal.
“It’s a constant battle—we restore it, they steal the copper, we go back in.”
— Robert Rocchio, RIDOT interim director, speaking to NBC 10 WJAR
Losses and Results Still Need Detail
The reported $1 million-plus in losses has no stated timeframe, and the material does not clarify whether it refers only to stolen copper or includes related repair and replacement costs. RIDOT’s statement that the blocks have worked so far is not accompanied by before-and-after theft figures, a defined measurement period, or details about how the agency tracks incidents.
It is also unclear when RIDOT expects to finish the remaining installations, whether the blocks will be expanded beyond the planned 151, and how often they will need inspection or maintenance. The report does not say whether thefts have shifted to other locations or types of infrastructure since the installations began.
RIDOT’s Remaining Installations
RIDOT’s stated next step is to complete its plan for 151 concrete blocks; 87 had been installed at the time of the report. The agency has not announced a completion date in the supplied material. A clearer assessment of the measure’s impact would require later figures on thefts, repair costs and outages, compared over a stated period.
For now, the confirmed development is a physical deterrent being installed at selected access covers. The number of incidents prevented, the full cost of copper theft to the state and whether RIDOT will continue or expand the approach remain unreported.
Key Questions
Why is Rhode Island placing concrete blocks over access covers?
RIDOT is trying to deter copper theft by making streetlight wiring harder to reach through access covers.
How much do the blocks weigh?
The blocks weigh about 700 pounds and require equipment to move, according to the report.
How many blocks have been installed?
RIDOT had installed 87 of 151 planned blocks when the report was published. A completion date was not provided.
How much has the program cost?
The reported program cost is $75,000. The report says WJAR corrected a video segment that had misstated the figure as $750,000.
How much has copper theft cost Rhode Island?
RIDOT Interim Director Robert Rocchio said losses exceeded $1 million, but did not specify the timeframe or explain exactly what costs the figure includes.
Source: thedrive.com
