The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power wants its own armed police force to guard the city’s power grid, reservoirs, and streetlights as copper theft and other threats to infrastructure keep climbing. The proposal envisions roughly 20 to 50 sworn officers hired over a five-year rollout, all authorized to carry firearms, make arrests, and investigate crimes on DWP property. Department officials argue that private, unarmed security guards cannot stop thieves in the act, and that repeat incidents are stacking up repair backlogs and outages across neighborhoods. Moving ahead would require changes to both the city charter and state law.
Agency says unarmed guards are outmatched
In a May 21 report filed with the City Clerk, the department argued its current "observe-and-report" security model leaves critical facilities vulnerable and that contracted guards "lack the authority to detain or arrest suspects, intervene in crimes in progress, conduct searches, or carry firearms for enforcement purposes." According to the LADWP report, the utility laid out a phased plan to stand up a Los Angeles Water and Power Police unit with patrol, dispatch, investigative, and evidence management functions. The proposal pitches the force as a narrowly focused team dedicated to protecting infrastructure rather than a general-purpose city police department.
Price tag and scope of the problem
The department estimates about $9.7 million in startup costs over three years and roughly $5 to $6 million a year in staffing once the force is fully up and running. Officials say any overruns would ultimately be covered by DWP customers. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city logged 46,079 electronic streetlight service requests in 2024, about triple the 2018 total, and DWP says copper theft losses alone top $1 million annually. News coverage also notes that recyclers can pay as much as $5.30 per pound for raw copper, an eye-catching payout that helps fuel the thefts.
Legal hurdles and who gets a say
Creating a dedicated LADWP police force would require a city charter amendment and changes to state law to grant peace officer status under California Penal Code section 830.1, the department wrote in its report. The LADWP submission argues the move would put the utility in line with other proprietary agencies such as Los Angeles World Airports and the Port of Los Angeles, and would require memoranda of understanding with the LAPD, the district attorney, and other partners. For the statutory definition of peace officer authority, see California’s California Penal Code.
Watchdogs and advocates hit the brakes
Oversight officials and community advocates are openly questioning whether a relatively small armed unit would do much to curb thefts or long-term costs. The city’s independent watchdog has warned that the proposed force "would be too small to get the job done," according to the Los Angeles Times. Other critics argue the idea surfaced late in a broader charter reform conversation and deserves more public debate before voters or state lawmakers are asked to sign off. City reporting notes that the plan was scheduled for discussion by the City Council this week.
Neighborhood fallout hits the streets
Local coverage has chronicled the day-to-day effects: blocks plunged into darkness after the wire is yanked out, damaged underground vaults that slow repairs, and police seizing hefty stashes of copper during arrests. Recent Hoodline reporting highlighted a Tarzana incident that knocked out nearby streetlights and a Long Beach arrest where officers recovered more than 100 pounds of copper, illustrating how the problem ripples well beyond a single neighborhood. The city and the utility are already testing repair and hardening strategies, including swapping some wired fixtures for solar-powered alternatives to cut down on targets.
What happens next
The proposal now begins its trip through City Hall, where it will be weighed in council hearings and public comment sessions. On top of that, state lawmakers would have to approve changes to Penal Code language, and voters could be asked to weigh in if a charter amendment lands on the ballot. Expect more detail from the department on how it would recruit and train officers and how new interagency agreements with LAPD and prosecutors would define the limits of the force’s authority.
