Scraponomics Episode 95: Metal Theft Presentation (Cont.) - First Side of the Problem
“When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo, American author
We’ve been talking about metal theft for the past couple of weeks. This week, let’s discuss the metal theft issue, itself; who’s the problem and what are some potential solutions.
Like with any controversial issue, there are plenty of layers and misconceptions. First, it’s important to understand the difference between a thief and a scrapper, which the media tends to commingle. A thief, simply put, is someone who steals property. Remember, this isn’t really scrap theft. It’s actually property theft. The difference is that in this case the thief usually tries to manipulate the property until it’s unidentifiable and then illegally tries to sell it as scrap. Scrappers, on the other hand, are people who legally sell scrap material. They could be independent contractors, people who are cleaning out their garages, or even people who haul scrap material for a living. Scrappers play an active role in the recycling process, the same way Friedland does as a scrap-processor, and help both the economy and environment. The question then becomes: how do we encourage scrappers while discouraging thieves?
For all of the requirements to purchase scrap material in the current law, here are the main things our industry has found actuall helpful in stopping thieves and prosecuting them.
A valid drivers license Images of the person with the material An affidavit the seller signs stating s/he own the material When the person who’s property has been stolen or law enforcement calls us right after the theft occurs, rather than months later
That’s it. Simple enough, but there’s another side of the equation. Next week, we’ll focus on the difference between a legitimate scrap-processor and a bad actor.
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