California town outraged as traffic lights are replaced with stop signs to deter homeless people from stealing copper

The city of Oakland recently removed traffic lights from one busy intersection and replaced them with stop signs after the electrical boxes that controlled the traffic lights were repeatedly tampered with and copper from them was stolen.

Local residents and those who own businesses in the area say the issue with the traffic lights stems from the nearby homeless encampment, which has grown over the years.

The owner of a vehicle repair shop on the corner of the intersection, Tam Le, said the city is signaling that it is 'giving up on us,' by installing the stop signs.

It is the latest in a string of copper thefts in California. Earlier this month, videos emerged of thieves ransacking Tesla charging stations for the metal.  

For months, the traffic lights malfunctioned. They either blinked red or went out completely, causing confusing and hazardous driving conditions in the area.

'The city did try to fix the traffic light at least a few times. But once they fixed it, normally within a week or so, it will go out again,' said Le, according to CBS News.

The city of Oakland recently removed traffic lights from one busy intersection and replaced them with stop signs

For months, the traffic lights malfunctioned. They either blinked red or went out completely, causing confusing and hazardous driving conditions in the area - some blame the occupants a very nearby homeless encampment 

The real problem, he claims, are the homeless people who steal power from the city's electrical boxes and copper from the traffic lights themselves.

Local resident Mason Young told the outlet that the old-fashioned stop signs are 'a brand new solution to a problem that's taken many forms here.'

He said the big red signs are better than the ill-functioning traffic lights, which he said were responsible for sending a truck into one of the fences of Le's repair shop months.

The nine stations can be seen without any of the cables attached to them as Beckler shows the core of the heavy duty cable, which is clearly rich in copper

But, he added, putting another 'band-aid' on a much larger issue is not a sustainable  solution - especially in an area that has grown notably more violent in recent years - though it's far preferably to 'bleeding out.'

Le has been operating his business at the intersection for a quarter of a century, but fears the expansion of the homeless encampment could spell the end for his livelihood.

'If you really want to fix the stop sign, I think you really have to clean up this homeless encampment,' he said.

A spokesperson for the Bay Area city said they had attempted to partially deal with the issue by placing heavy cement blocks atop the city's electrical boxes - but people stealing electricity just pushed them off.

The owner of a vehicle repair shop on the corner of the intersection, Tam Le (pictured), said the city is signaling that it is 'giving up on us,' by installing the stop signs

Right now, the encampment (pictured) stretches some three blocks on E. 12th street and has only continued growing despite some previous attempts by the city to clear it

The city also said that the stops signs at the intersection of E. 12th Street and 16th Avenue are temporary, but they do not presently have a timeline on when they will be replaced by regular traffic lights again

The city also said that the stops signs at the intersection of E. 12th Street and 16th Avenue are temporary, but they do not presently have a timeline on when they will be replaced by regular traffic lights again.

Le says that a large handful of businesses have already closed on E. 12th and he isn't sure 'how long we're going to be here.

'Because once they (occupants of the homeless encampment) move to our side of the sidewalk, we will be gone,' he added.

Right now, the encampment stretches some three blocks on E. 12th street and has only continued growing despite some previous attempts by the city to clear it.