Larry Klein
Mayor
Richard Mehlinger
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
May 7, 2026
T
he Honorable Assemblymember Mark González
California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 6150
Sacramento, CA 95814
R
E: Assembly Bill 1941 (Gonzalez): Organized Metal Theft – SUPPORT D
ear Assemblymember González:
O
n behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we want to express our support of AB 1941, which would enhance enforcement against copper wire theft by targeting repeat and organized offenders and establishing a statewide data- sharing tool to improve coordination across jurisdictions.
C
opper wire theft is a growing and serious issue in Sunnyvale and throughout California.
These crimes disproportionately impact essential public infrastructure, including streetlights, traffic signals, telecommunications networks, and water systems. When this infrastructure is damaged, it disrupts critical services that residents rely on daily, including emergency response systems, public safety lighting, and reliable communications.
S
unnyvale has not escaped the rising tide of copper wire theft. Last year, thieves targeted EV chargers in one Target parking lot, vandalizing and stealing copper cables in eight of the ten available chargers. During a more troubling incident, copper thieves targeted the VTA light rail lines. The copper wire was cut so close to the signal tracks, that the theft disabled warning lights and gates.
S
treetlight outages reduce neighborhood safety, while damaged traffic infrastructure increases the risk of accidents and congestion. Repairing this damage is costly and resource-intensive, often requiring coordination across multiple city departments and external partners. These incidents place an additional burden on already strained public resources and delay the delivery of essential services to our residents.
Attachment 4
The Honorable Mark González, State Assembly
May 7, 2026
AB 1941 builds upon prior legislative efforts by creating the new offense of “organized metal theft,” enabling prosecutors to more effectively hold repeat and coordinated offenders accountable. Additionally, the bill’s creation of a statewide data -sharing system will provide law enforcement, public agencies, and private partners with critical tools to identify patterns, disrupt organized theft rings, and prevent future incidents.
Sunnyvale supports AB 1941 as it advances Goal SN -1 (Hazards and Risk Reduction) and SN -3 by protecting critical infrastructure and reducing risks to public safety.
Organized metal theft disrupts essential services like traffic control and lighting, increasing hazards and emergency response demands. Strengthened enforcement and coordination support the City’s priority to maintain safe and reliable infrastructure.
This coordinated, statewide approach is essential to addressing a problem that does not respect city or county boundaries. By improving information sharing and strengthening enforcement mechanisms, AB 1941 will help protect vital infrastructure and enhance public safety for communities like Sunnyvale.
For these reasons, the City of Sunnyvale strongly supports AB 1941 and thanks you for your leadership on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Chief Daniel Pistor, Director of Public Safety at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
cc: Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab
Assembly Member Patrick Ahrens
City Council
Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Daniel Pistor, Director of Public Safety
Attachment 4