Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni gestures toward copper wire that was stolen during a news conference on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

The Fresno City Council will take a swing at fighting copper theft with an ordinance that could mean jail time for having more than 10 pounds without a legitimate purpose.

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a similar ordinance Tuesday morning. It was introduced by Supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Nathan Magsig. The county ordinance prohibits receiving, possessing and transporting more than 10 pounds of commercial grade wire stripped of its protective sheathing, except by a licensed business.

A Tuesday afternoon news conference after the supervisors’ vote brought out business, farming and elected officials from the county and city of Fresno. The action represents a collaborative effort to fight copper theft, which causes tens of thousands of dollars in damages to water pumps and machinery for something worth about $3.25 a pound from a recycler.

At the Fresno City Council’s meeting on Thursday, April 10, members will consider an ordinance that goes even further with penalties in city limits. It was introduced by Council President Mike Karbassi and Councilmembers Annalisa Perea and Tyler Maxwell.

Maxwell and Karbassi attended Tuesday’s news conference, as did Fresno County Supervisors Luis Chavez, Buddy Mendes and Brian Pacheco. Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno County Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen and Fresno Chamber of Commerce Chairman Nick Rocca were also there.

In 2023 copper wire theft inflicted over $3 million in damage to commercial operations in the Central Valley.

For Fresno County, violations would be punishable as a misdemeanor through civil penalties, or through administrative fines of $500 to $1,000 per violation. It also gives law enforcement a new tool when encountering people suspected of theft who could have hundreds of pounds of copper wire in their vehicle.

Unless law enforcement can prove the wire is stolen, there’s nothing they can do.

Theft of copper and aluminum components from energy transmission and telecommunications infrastructure in unincorporated areas damages agricultural businesses and threatens public safety, according to the ordinance.

To drive that home, AT&T External Affairs Director Bryant Milesi participated in the news conference, sharing that the telecom utility deals with copper theft on a daily basis, with some sites hit multiple times.

The City of Fresno ordinance makes any violation a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in a county jail and a fine of up to $1,000, plus an additional fine equal to the reasonable cost of repairing or replacing the pillaged property.

Both ordinances take effect 30 days after an affirmative vote.