The guardrails aren't the only things being stolen for scrap, they're just what the article focuses on. There's a link included to an article about streetlight

The guardrails aren't the only things being stolen for scrap, they're just what the article focuses on. There's a link included to an article about streetlight copper theft which probably costs even more, and another about telecom theft. According to https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/la-city-council-copper-wire-thefts https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/la-city-council-copp... : > In the [2023] fiscal year, that number skyrocket to a staggering 6,842 cases, with repair costs exceeding well over $20 million.