MILWAUKEE — Theft of copper wire from the city’s streetlight system has cost Milwaukee an estimated $600,000 to $650,000 over the past year and left residents waiting longer for lights to be restored, Department of Public Works officials told a Common Council committee Wednesday, Sept. 30. The department has recorded about 180 theft incidents in the past year, including 75 in August alone. More than 60 reported streetlight outages were awaiting attention, officials said. City Engineer Kevin Muhs said the thefts began last September and involve people pulling live wires from underground conduits. The affected area reaches from about 43rd Street and Congress Street on the west to the Milwaukee River on the east, with a hub near 10th Street and Capitol Drive. The loss of lighting is affecting residents’ sense of safety as well as city budgets. “When areas go dark, the level of public safety that’s at risk for those residents, those businesses and everything around it is something I think is kind of immeasurable,” Alderwoman Milele Coggs said at the meeting. Repair crews are taking about seven to eight days to respond to outage reports tied to the thefts, compared with the usual one to two days, Muhs said. Repeated thefts in the same locations have made it difficult for crews to keep up, he said. Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke described a recent incident in which someone dug around an underground utility box, attached a strap and used a vehicle to pull the entire box out. Officials also said thieves have obtained tools used to open tamper-resistant locks; earlier, some boxes were forced open with sledgehammers. The work poses a serious hazard because the wires may be energized. Asked whether someone cutting them could be killed, Kruschke said, “Absolutely.” Alderwoman Andrea Pratt said dark blocks and altered junction boxes have become a visible concern in her neighborhood. Muhs urged residents not to assume someone else has reported a streetlight outage. Residents can report one by calling 286-CITY. Muhs said officials were aware of at least one arrest connected to copper wire thefts. Milwaukee police said they do not maintain statistical data on the number of arrests tied to the thefts over the past year.