NEAR OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The streetlights near Evergreen State College are dark. It's not because of a power outage, but because of thieves.

Three times in the last two months, thieves have pulled out bundles of the heavy gauge copper wire from underground conduits between the lights. Nearly a two-mile stretch of the Evergreen Parkway, including the main entrance into the college, was left in the dark as a result.

Surprisingly, campus police believe the theft occurred right in front of everybody, during daylight hours when the power was off.

A witness reported having seen two men working along the median of the entrance on Dec. 26 and 27. They were working near a teal green 1990s model pick-up truck, the witness told detectives.

"They thought they were Evergreen maintenance people so they didn't think about calling until they noticed that the lights were out," said Pamela Garland with campus police.

Since Evergreen-maintained workers do not wear uniforms or drive marked vehicles, Garland says it would be easy for passerbys to mistake thieves for legitimate workers.

"They took thousands of feet of copper wire," said Mike Drennon, manager of the school's mechanical systems. "If we put it out to bid, the labor and materials would be worth about $30,000."

Copper is a popular item for thieves. The going rate for copper at many recyclers averages $3 per pound, according to several Web sites. Insulated wire brings in even more.

The school hopes to rewire nearly 90 street lights that have been affected in the next two weeks. Crime Stoppers of Thurston County is offering a reward for information that leads an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is urged to get in touch.