The Detroit Lighting Department, according to a report from Charlie LeDuff, is basically a dystopian steampunk nightmare of obsolete levers, gears, and gauges.
The system is apparently so outmoded that the last time it was even mapped was in the 1960s. Management bloat once included a foreman with a salary higher than the mayor's pay. Businesses and residents didn't always pay their bills. Copper wiring sits at the base of light posts, tempting thieves looking for a quick and easy score.
With virtually no money invested in system maintenance or upgrades for decades and a little more than skeleton crew working to repair bust lights, the department has basically been expected to fight a losing battle for years.
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Fox 2 Detroit
