Thieves stole copper cabling from all three EV chargers stationed at Denver’s Scheitler Recreation Center on Feb. 14, rendering them unusable for up to two months, officials say.
Copper wires run through EV charging cables, helping conduct electricity so it flows from the station to vehicles. But in recent months copper prices have surged, and EV chargers have become low-hanging fruit for thieves looking to cash in.
Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) owns and operates chargers at rec centers and dozens of other sites around the city. CASR said that they see roughly one to three similar thefts per year, which incapacitates charging stations and requires expensive repairs.
The agency said that the stolen copper would only net a paltry $20 per cable, and cutting an active cable could be “potentially lethal.” Each station had both its cables cut. But replacing the chargers at the Northwest Denver recreation center could cost the city up to $50,000 in total.
“Unfortunately, we have seen vandalism like this at other public chargers across the city,” the office said in an emailed statement. “This is one of the reasons we’re considering the switch to the model that is more expensive upfront but allows for more repairability.”
Park rangers originally reported the theft to the Denver Police Department, who said no arrests have been made. Denver’s Parks and Recreation department did not have information about the suspects.
“The city is working to improve surveillance and exploring design improvements to prevent this from happening in the future,” said Stephanie Figueroa, a communications specialist for Denver’s Parks and Recreation Department, in a statement. “Despite this vandalism, the city remains committed to charging electric vehicles for the public.”
In 2025, Denver police said there have been at least nine reported cases of EV charger thefts, and that one station in Elyria Swansea has been hit repeatedly. ChargePoint, a company which helps manage that station but does not own it, said in a statement it was working to combat vandalism nationwide by introducing cut-resistant cables and better alarm systems.
“ChargePoint believes the customers and partners that elect to use its cut-resistant cable design can make any charging station more resistant to tampering and therefore more dependable for all EV drivers,” the company wrote in a statement.
