There are growing issues with theft of copper wiring, water meters and backflow preventers along a new 5.5 mile extension of Valley Metro's light rail in south Phoenix.

At a meeting of Valley Metro's Construction Advisory Board in late January, area residents in the area asked for more help from Valley Metro and its primary contractor, Kiewit Construction Corp., to stop the thefts.  

Construction Advisory is a part of Valley Metro’s Construction Outreach Plan for the South Central Extension Downtown Hub Project, in collaboration with Kiewit. CAB meets monthly to discuss updates and concerns regarding the extension of the light rail system expected to be completed in 2024. 

CAB official and former member of the Arizona House of Representatives Norma A. Munoz spoke about her experience with the rising issue at the CAB South meeting on Jan. 26.  

“A part of my water meter was stolen and I was left without water for almost 12 hours,” Munoz said.

Munoz proposed implementing a security patrol service to  circuit the street during the night to deter burglary and enhance the safety of the area.

“The city of Phoenix will not provide police going up and down Central. They don’t have the funding, they don’t have the officers and they’re doing more important things. So, we need Kiewit and Valley Metro to address this issue,” Munoz said.

Petra Falcon, CAB chairperson and executive director of Promise Arizona, questioned whether the responsibility lies with Phoenix Police or the city itself. She shared her own experience with theft on south Central Ave.

“Our building lost copper. We were without bathrooms for three days because we had to deal with the city. We have cameras and we saw people cutting our tubing,” Falcon said. 

James “JJ” Johnston, Kiewit spokesperson and the project’s civil utility manager, acknowledged the significant increase in theft during his construction report. He highlighted the targeted theft of waterline services, city water meters and backflow preventers. Johnston pointed out that Kiewit's ability to resolve these issues is limited by the city's processes.

“It’s just as frustrating for us as it is for the local community. I mean, we have to repair all the depth damage and we’re repairing a lot of other lines that we were already complete with,” Johnston said.

Sgt. Brian Bower of the Phoenix Police Department reported seven burglary and theft incidents along the Central Avenue corridor from Nov. 1, 2023, to Jan. 26, 2024.

“Many burglary calls are a crime of opportunity and if high-valued metals are left out without being secured or without security, criminals will have an easier time removing and taking the items,” Bower said.

According to the city of Phoenix Police Department ​Property Crimes Hotspot Map, south and north Central Avenue was a significantly higher target for property offense crime than the greater Phoenix area in 2023.  

As concerns escalate, residents are calling for a plan to address the crime and ensure the safety and well-being of south Central Ave. residents.

Victor Vidales, CAB official and partner at Re/Max, connected the spike in crime to new homelessness and encampments in alleyways.

"Can Kiewit and their staff contact the Phoenix Cares program to make sure those encampments are addressed so they're not just standing there? I believe that's probably where some of the theft is coming from," Vidales said.

Manuel Tapia, the utility spokesperson and president of MTAPIA Engineering, emphasized the importance of community involvement in reporting theft. He said it was important that residents fill out police reports on incidents because of limits on what Valley Metro and Kiewit can do about the problem.

“It is critical that the owner does a police report for the theft. Kiewit and Valley Metro cannot do it because it is privately owned,” Tapia said.