LOS ANGELES, CA – The Bell Police Department is urging the public to be on the lookout for fire hydrant thieves after several recent incidents in the Southeast Los Angeles area, the department said in a social media post Monday.
The warning was shared Monday, Oct. 26, and included a photo of a Golden State Water Company truck. Golden State Water owns and services the hydrants in the area.
Police asked residents to contact their local police department “if a fire hydrant is being removed by someone who is not driving a Golden State Water Company vehicle.” The department also asked anyone who sees something suspicious or witnesses a hydrant theft to contact Bell police.
The department had not released a count of the recent incidents in the information available Tuesday.
What the warning asks residents to do
The message is built around one visual cue: the vehicle. A crew removing a hydrant from a Golden State Water truck is doing authorized work, while anyone taking one apart without that vehicle is the situation police want reported.
The post did not name specific streets. It described the recent incidents as occurring across the Southeast Los Angeles area.
Police said hydrants provide a reliable water source for firefighting operations and that their absence can lead to delays in putting out fires.
Thefts began in late 2022
Golden State Water began seeing hydrants vanish in late 2022, and the company says thefts have increased since. It reported that 302 hydrants were stolen on the south side of Los Angeles County, from Huntington Park to Gardena, from the start of 2023 to May 2024.
The company put the loss at more than $1.2 million. Replacing a hydrant costs between $3,500 and $4,000, according to the company.
Kate Nutting, general manager of Golden State Water’s Southwest District, has said the hydrants are made of iron and brass and that she believes they are sold on the black market for scrap. Officials believe thieves take them to recycling centers, where the brass is especially in demand.
Communities where hydrants have been taken
Many of the earlier thefts were in Florence-Graham, Willowbrook and West Rancho Dominguez, and in eastern Gardena near the 110 Freeway. The thefts later spread to Inglewood, Bell and Cudahy.
The company has said the thefts were prevalent in Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Florence-Graham, Gardena, Hawthorne, Huntington Park, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Vernon, Walnut Park, West Rancho Dominguez, Westmont and Willowbrook.
Thieves have also rammed hydrants with vehicles or used specialized tools to remove metal parts, according to the company.
Fire department warned of delays in 2024
The Los Angeles County Fire Department addressed the thefts in a June 2024 statement. The department said: “The theft of fire hydrants poses a threat to public safety as it hampers the fire department’s ability to quickly respond to fires and protect lives and property.”
The warning from Bell police repeats that concern. Police said a missing hydrant can slow firefighters’ access to water.
Utility adds welds and steel covers
Golden State Water has welded hydrants to block access to the bolts. It has also installed locked steel covers over the bolts so they cannot be unscrewed.
In 2024, the company set up a biweekly task force with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials to address the thefts.
The company asks customers to report theft or vandalism to law enforcement. Residents who see a missing hydrant can also call the Golden State Water customer service line at 1-800-999-4033.
State law addresses hydrant tampering
California approved a law on the issue in 2025. SB 394, titled “Water theft: fire hydrants,” makes it unlawful to tamper with a fire hydrant or to divert water from one without authorization.
Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the bill Oct. 10, 2025. It allows a utility to bring a civil action over tampering with a fire hydrant or connecting to a hydrant without authorization.
Public asked to report suspicious removals
Anyone with information about the recent hydrant thefts is asked to contact the Bell Police Department or their local police department.
For now, the department’s warning stands, and it asks residents in the Southeast Los Angeles area to report any hydrant removal by someone not driving a Golden State Water Company vehicle.
