Thanks to a concerned resident inquiring why their neighborhood street lights weren’t working during the week of September 20, 2015, Snohomish County Public Works discovered that copper wire that provides power to the lights had been stolen. Two thefts occurred – on Cathcart Way between 78th Avenue Southeast and State Route 9; and on Puget Park Drive between 67th Avenue Southeast and Cathcart Way at Willis Tucker Park. In total, approximately $12,000 worth of copper wire was taken impacting the safety of pedestrians and motorists. No traffic lights were affected by the theft.

This is the first incident of this type for Snohomish County Public Works, and the county is actively working to replace the wire. To minimize the potential for similar incidents in the future, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s department will be sending additional evening patrols to these areas, and the county will be taking additional measures to secure the junction boxes that hold the wire. Residents should expect repairs to be completed by Friday, October 16, 2015.

The county requests residents to be alert for suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. If they witness questionable actions, please call 911 immediately. Should neighborhood street lights appear to be malfunctioning, please contact ROAD@snoco.org or call 425-388-ROAD (7623).