Punishment for Scrap Metal Recyclers
As in anything, if you can’t blame someone, blame the innocent. With the economy oscillating like a tilt-a-whirl and unemployment lines not receding, scrap metal theft is still a vibrant business. So how do you stop it, slow it down and/or penalize and curtail. Well frankly, the government has recently decided that tougher regulation on the scrap re sellers and scrap yards across the country might do the trick, it’s the old blame the parent for Billy’s bad behavior game. The bottom line is, punishment for scrap metal recyclers may be on the rise.
Educating dealers about their responsibilities in preventing the sale of stolen scrap metal is the new deterrent. New legislation alone will not suffice to change scrap metal dealers’ management practices on accepting scrap. Owner/Operaters of legitimate scrap facilities must be educated on their legal obligations and the importance of fulfilling them. This is all according to our government, and how they plan of stopping those who break into facility’s and steal metal.
Scrap metal dealers should be required to train employees on how to identify potentially stolen metal and how to report suspected sellers. Police officers and recognized stakeholders should help scrap recyclers in changing their business practices to prevent cash exchanges for stolen metal. Logistical concerns include having adequate technology for scrap recyclers, such as proper computer software, cameras, and fax machines.
The problem with all of this is that there is scrap metal everywhere. From the street to the sky, and without labeling every single piece, there is no wy to track what came from where. To ask the average scrap metal recycle yard, to give every single person who comes through their place of business the once over, the look down or the shakedown on how they look and act is ridiculous.
Thieves are stealing scrap 24/7, and the only way to stop them is to catch them in the act, which is the responsibility of whomever owns the metal in the first place.