11 months ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The City of Fresno, similar galore different cities astir the nation, has faced rampant theft and vandalism of EV chargers and their invaluable components, including copper wire.
As a result, the metropolis has been forced to walk implicit six figures connected repairs and extortion against vandals. Protection includes the installation of specially made locking alloy cabinets, to chopped entree for those looking to harm the pricey chargers.
"The metropolis has spent astir $125,000 implicit the past 3 years repairing them and past close astir different $120,000 installing the alloy cabinets to assistance support them," said Melissa Almaguer, Fresno's parking part manager.
Almaguer says since the installation of the city's charging stations, thieves and vandals person had the cleanable aerial inaugural successful the crosshairs.
"The parking part is liable for 88 EV charging stations. Unfortunately, astatine 1 constituent successful clip oregon another, each of them person been vandalized and immoderate of them person been vandalized aggregate times," she said.
In immoderate parts of the city, similar astatine the Convention Center Garage connected O Street, drivers tin spot the alloy bluish cabinets astir vandalized chargers. Almaguer says they aren't examples of thieves getting past the unafraid contraptions. Instead, the installation of the cabinets is the archetypal portion of the process, earlier the chargers are repaired.
Now, the main obstacle is to get parts.
"We person immoderate charging stations that request to beryllium repaired astatine the normal halfway and underground garages. Unfortunately, those parts are connected backorder," Almaguer said.
But it's a occupation they accidental should beryllium lone temporary.
"We bash expect them arriving the archetypal week of October and past they'll beryllium repaired soon thereafter," she said.
However, immoderate visiting downtown whitethorn announcement chargers successful immoderate garages, similar the Spiral Garage, that stay with missing pieces, sliced wires, oregon breached charger plugs. Now, the metropolis is moving to fig retired if repairs successful those locations are feasible.
"They person to person wiring and conduit that runs passim the garages. Unfortunately erstwhile the stations were vandalized the wiring and conduit was stolen arsenic well," Almaguer explained.
Another anticipation she says could beryllium to determination the chargers altogether, to easier areas to unafraid and monitor.
"We are presently exploring our options to find if we privation to hole them wherever they're at, oregon if we privation to relocate them determination other wherever it's a substance of simply installing a alloy furniture astir it to assistance support it," she said.
Those who spot an EV charger vandalized, oregon retired of order, are asked to study it successful the FresGO app. Those who witnesser vandalism successful progress, are encouraged to telephone Fresno Police.
