DENVER Copper thieves hit RTDs G Line three times in a week, ripping out wire in the earlymorning hours and triggering hourslong service disruptions as soaring copper prices fuel a surge in thefts across the transit system.

On Wednesday, the agency said it was investigating three copper thefts along the commuter rail line that connects Union Station to Wheat Ridge. The most recent theft took place early Thursday morning, north of Clear Creek-Federal Station.

Thieves struck again on April 23 and April 21, targeting the same line. They ripped more than 14 feet of copper wire from important infrastructure, leaving some crossing arms to remain down.

All three incidents occurred in the early morning hours and caused service disruptions lasting hours.

"RTD faces varying costs for labor and material replacement to restore service. While individual thefts range from several hundred to several thousand dollars in material, the total operational impact of todays incident, where an estimated 14 feet of copper wire was removed, is still being calculated, RTD Public Communications Senior Specialist Tara Broghammer told Denver7 last week.

RTD said its theft problem is only growing.

In 2024, 47 thefts were reported, followed by 31 last year. There have been at least nine thefts so far this year.

One reason it appears more of these types of thefts are increasing is that the price of copper is near a record high on global markets, at around $6 per pound.

The demand for copper has created a market for thieves to target critical infrastructure around the world. In the U.S. and Canada, multiple transit agencies have also recently reported an increase in copper wire thefts, resulting in service disruptions, Broghammer said last week.

However, the Utah Transportation Authority, which operates in the Salt Lake City area, has a rail system similar to the Denver metros but is experiencing much less theft, the agency told Denver7.

UTA said it investigates and prevents copper theft by analyzing crime patterns, conducting targeted surveillance, and coordinating closely with metal recyclers.

The agency said it also uses motion-activated trail cameras and real-time alerts to quickly capture suspects and vehicles.

UTA told Denver7 that its partnerships with recycling businesses have led to multiple arrests and charges.

With 120 miles of track, RTD is implementing deterrents, including embedding copper wire, installing wooden covers, and greasing wires, to reduce theft.

RTD said it has installed an extensive network of cameras across its service area, and its video investigations team reviews footage to help identify suspects and vehicles involved in copper theft.

Since 2024, RTD police have also established their own detective bureau, enabling law enforcement to investigate and prosecute copper wire thefts, among other crimes.

Detectives are able to investigate these crimes across the entire service area spanning eight counties and 40 municipalities, whereas a local partner agency may not have the resources available to see the investigations through, Broghammer said last week.

The transit district said its police force has also engaged resellers of copper wire to be on the lookout for resale and to contact the agency.

Transit Police urge the public to review footage and promptly contact authorities if they recognize the two suspects involved in last weeks theft.

RTD also warns that trespassing on tracks is dangerous and can lead to electrocution or being struck by a train.

DENVER Historic Denver has submitted a nomination to the City and County of Denver seeking landmark designation for the home of the Honorable Wilma J. Webb and former Mayor Wellington E. Webb.

They truly were a political powerhouse, and the decisions made in this home shaped the city and the state and really turned Denver and Colorado into the economically vibrant and socially progressive places that they generally are, said John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver.

Wellington Webb was Denvers first Black mayor.

Deffenbaugh said Mayor Webb oversaw the completion of Denver International Airport, championed the revitalization of lower downtown and convinced the Colorado Rapids, Denver Nuggets, and Denver Broncos to remain in Colorado.

When you think about our current sports situation, that's a pretty fundamental agreement, Deffenbaugh said.

Deffenbaugh said the Honorable Wilma Webb has an equally impressive legacy as well.

Wilma Webb was the first African American woman to serve at all levels of U.S. government: at the local level as the first lady of Denver, at the state level serving six terms in the state legislature, and at the federal level, being appointed by President Clinton to serve as a chief administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor, overseeing six states. So, Wilma Webb's accomplishments are far and great and have fundamentally shaped our city, state and country, Deffenbaugh said.

The nomination is currently scheduled to be presented for approval to the City and County of Denvers Landmark Preservation Commission on May 5 and to Denver City Council on June 22.

When Denver7 | Your Voice visited Boulder last week, community members expressed their hope for a future in the city that preserves the past.

Many people acknowledged that change is inevitable, and often a good thing, but they simultaneously longed for the Boulder from decades ago the city they first fell in love with.

When asked where that quirky character still resides in Boulder, a handful of people mentioned a certain store on Pearl Street Mall: the historic Boulder Bookstore.

"I have been coming here since this store opened, since before there was a mall on Pearl Street," said Jed Shapiro. "There were cars going by in front of this store.

Shapiro is considered a regular at the store, which sprawls across several floors and encompasses an estimated 150,000 books.

"It's a meeting place for me, at least," Shapiro said about the store, where he often runs into people he knows.

The owner of the Boulder Bookstore, David Bolduc, said the store has been open for more than 50 years.

"People are still buying books, which we thought they said the book is dead at one point," Bolduc said while surrounded by the massive collection in the store. "People don't see bookstores of this size, probably, unless they live in a very, very big city like New York."

Bolduc believes there is something special customers are seeking when they enter the store.

All that kind of intimacy that I think we've lost a lot as we've gotten larger and larger, they can find here," said Bolduc.

As many things change in Boulder, there are some that stay the same as seen inside the Boulder Bookstore.

"They appreciate the connections with the past, and are not willing just to say the past is worthless and everything's got to be new," said Bolduc. "I think people see the value of things that have come before them and can build upon those."

Denver7 | Your Voice