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According to the website of a major insurance company, metal theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, as copper, aluminum, nickel, stainless steel, and scrap iron have become coveted targets for thieves trying to make a quick buck. The company cited copper as a concern because it can be easily stolen from vacant or locked buildings. Thieves need only remove the wiring, flashing lights, gutters, and ventilation systems and sell it quickly to scrap yards.
In recent years, we have written articles about metal theft involving copper wiring from electrical installations or even power lines, metal railroad tracks, church bells, airport runway parts, air conditioners, beer kegs, manhole covers, statues, and a growing list of items containing metal in particular, copper.
Most of these thefts are motivated by the high price of copper, and many are perpetrated by people looking to sell the metal to pay for their drug addiction. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, wrote in its guide on “Scrap Metal Theft” that people are using copper as drug addiction to pay for their drug addictions. To support their addictions, addicts need access to small amounts of quick and steady cash, which they can easily obtain by selling small portions of stolen metal to scrap metal dealers.
At one point, the theft of catalytic converters seems to be constantly in the news. Analysis of these auto parts by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology has revealed that they contain platinum group metals. Catalytic converters are pollution control devices with chemicals and a combination of platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), or palladium (Pd). The recycling of catalytic converters is an important part of the effort to supply the constant demand for platinum from the automotive and other transportation industries that manufacture these devices. If there is demand, you can be sure there will be theft.
The article on the insurer’s website mentions that to “combat metal theft, more and more states and municipalities have passed laws tightening restrictions on scrap metal dealers. In some cases, some scrap metal purchases must be held in reserve for a week or more before being resold, just in case, they were stolen scrap. The state requires dealers to register the sellers’ names, addresses, and driver’s licenses in other cases. ”
A Texas county sheriff’s deputy was interviewed by the online news site Odessa America and described how it is that the theft of copper-containing appliances has significantly reduced after the state of Texas became stricter in enforcing the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1956.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) website, “Anyone operating as a Metal Recycling Entity (MRE) in Texas is required to register with the Department of Public Safety to comply with the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1956. An MRE is a business predominantly engaged in performing the manufacturing process by which scrap, used, or obsolete metal is converted into raw material products that have, or could have, economic value by methods that include treating, sorting, sorting, cutting, cutting, cleaning, cleaning, reducing, baling, shredding, wrapping, or changing the physical form of such metal. ‘”
Suppose you operate a Metal Recycling Entity in Texas. In that case, you must collect certain information from sellers of regulated materials to assist law enforcement in monitoring those who sell and purchase such materials.
A sheriff’s office lieutenant is quoted in the article as commenting:
“We closely monitor all sales of regulated metals…We look at the Texas metals registration program. Any time these scrap yards buy brass, copper, aluminum, and other related metals, they must report it to the state. We can go in and look at the database and find out who’s selling this stuff…
From their habits, we can tell if it’s someone selling copper or other stolen materials or if it’s legitimate. ”
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is trying to help by offering a special tool for law enforcement to alert the scrap industry to significant thefts of materials in the United States and Canada. After validation and review, the alerts you post are emailed to all subscribed users within a 100-mile radius of where the theft occurred. (Note that all thefts must also be reported to the authorities). According to their website, at the time of this writing, they seek assistance to recover merchandise for $3,259,278.
The insurance company’s website offers tips on how to help prevent metal theft from waste storage facilities, which include installing cameras, securing building entrances and yards with padlocks, motion detectors, and alarms, and removing shrubbery where thieves could hide. Also, make sure you know what’s in your waste storage, both as part of your operations and your supplies. If a theft occurs, it will be easier to report it if you have already created a list with pictures of your equipment and the metal you have stored.
Metal recyclers also need to be sure about what they are buying and selling. What is the exact chemical composition of the scrap, including the existence of contaminants or hazardous elements? If the waste was stolen from a hospital or factory, it could contain a source of radiation. If the origin of the waste is uncertain, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance are at risk. To help ensure product integrity, scrap operations should use portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers to identify the metals and alloys contained in the material and scrap monitoring systems that can monitor vehicles entering the depot for radiation.
Hopefully, monitoring scrap metal thefts can reduce the number of incidents and dent the drug addiction crisis.
