Board backs AB 1218 to tighten penalties for unlawful possession of copper materials

The Kings County Board of Supervisors authorized a letter supporting Assembly Bill 1218, which county staff and the sheriff said would make it a crime to possess copper materials without proof of lawful ownership and prohibit falsified records intended to show ownership. The board approved the letter on April 29, 2025; the item was presented as part of the board’s legislative positions.

Alex C. Walker, administrative analyst, introduced the request and told supervisors that Kings County averages four to 10 reported copper-wire thefts per week and that, over four years, the county documented approximately 360 incidents and $2.65 million in damages to repair and replace stolen copper and related property. "Copper wire is one of the most frequent crimes experienced in Kings County’s agricultural community," Walker said.

Sheriff David Robinson urged support, describing the difficulty of proving where recovered wire originated when thieves are not caught in the act. "If you do not catch them in the act, it's hard to prove where it came from," Robinson said. He described the bill as shifting the burden so possessors would need to show lawful ownership — for example, a purchase receipt — which law enforcement says would aid prosecution.

The sheriff and county staff noted the bill’s sponsor is the California State Sheriffs’ Association and that local agricultural groups and farm bureaus had already submitted support letters. Walker said the Assembly public-safety committee scheduled the bill as a two-year measure to allow additional stakeholder work after an initial committee hearing.

Outcome: The board authorized the chairman to sign a letter of support for AB 1218; the motion passed on roll call with four votes in favor and one absent.