Scraponomics Episode 96: Metal Theft Presentation (Cont.) - Good Actors and Bad Actors
“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” — Aristotle
We’ve been talking about metal theft for the past few weeks, and last week, we discussed the difference between a thief and a scrapper. This week, let’s focus on another side of the issue; the companies that purchase scrap material.
It’s important to understand the difference between a legitimate scrap-processor and the bad actors out there. As required by Michigan law, entities that purchase scrap material, like Friedland, must scan a valid, government-issued, photo ID, take thumb scans, license plate numbers, the seller must sign an affidavit stating they own the material being sold, and much more!
Bad actors, on the other hand, most-likely do none of the aforementioned. They’re essentially in the business of ignoring laws. Some of them may be brick and mortar operations that will turn a blind eye if they see something come in that looks like it was stolen. Some may be mobile, sending faxes to businesses to the tune of “In your area today! Cash for copper! Call now!”
As a citizen, perhaps the most important things to remember are to protect your belongings the best you can and knowing to whom you’re selling your scrap material. At the same time, scrap-processors need to work with each other and together with law enforcement to find the bad actors out there and stop them.
We’ve discussed many times the importance of a legitimate scrap-processor to the economy and environment. The thing is, we’re the rule followers, which means we’re affected the most whether the law that’s in place works or not. So the question then becomes, How do we stop the bad actors without hurting legitimate scrap-processors?
Next week, we’ll discuss Michigan’s metal theft law, how it works, and how we’re all affected by it.
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