Scrap Metal Valuable?

Crimes occur everyday; especially theft. People will steal anything from a stick of gum to an automobile.

But people have now upgraded to a new desirable item. What is it you ask?

Well, this item comes in the form of scrap metal. Don’t laugh, this is a serious matter.
This new criminal trend has many people going to extreme lows. For instance, three men, James Nelson, Richard Pitts and John Kuhn were caught stealing a flag pole from Mount Carmel Cemetery’s Veterans’ Memorial in Toledo, Ohio in hopes of trading in their stolen treasure at a scrap yard for an undisclosed sum of money.

According to the Toledo Blade, these men damaged two nearby monuments in the process of sawing the flag pole.

Little do people know; scrap metal is big business and is not just in the city of Toledo, nor is relegated to the borders of the U.S. Scrap metal is global and even the automobile you drive could contain metal that was stolen, exchanged for profit, sent overseas for another profit, and then used to produce it.

13abc.com states nothing is off limits: school construction sites, utility companies, cemeteries and businesses. Losses are passed along to consumers and neighborhoods are left to deteriorate.

According to SanduskyRegister.com, copper, aluminum, stainless steel and brass are valuable metals. This site states Steve Lichtcsein, owner of Sandusky Steel & Supply, says, “Copper sells for more than $2 per pound, compared to 50 cents a pound nearly 20 years ago.”

As said before, something this minor is major economics. John Waunick, an attorney from Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP Law Firm, says when one hears about a flag pole being stolen to be used as scrap metal, you know this situation is not small potatoes… it’s big business.

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” said Waunick. “It is being generated by both China and India. The price on the open market is so high right now it’s worth the effort [by criminals].”

Individuals will go through any means to get this valuable resource. Captain Diana Ruiz-Krause, commander of the Personal and Public Affairs Bureau of the Toledo Police Department, agrees with this analysis, but is also concerned about the effect this crime is having on neighborhoods.

“Metal prices are very high and they take them to scrap yards,” says Ruiz-Krauz.
“People will go to abandoned houses or even houses that are not abandoned, especially in older neighborhoods, and take off its aluminum siding. This has proven to be very detrimental to neighborhoods as community value goes way down.”

Sgt. Joel Squadrito of the Ft. Wayne police department agrees. According to 13abc.com, Squadrito asserts "If you live in that neighborhood and two or four houses become vacant and they become condemned, whatever the case may bring, it breaks down the neighborhood and property value."

“I live in Perrysburg and we recycle,” said Waunick. “Don’t be surprised if you find that someone has been rummaging through your recyclables. They take what they find and go to a scrap yard.”

Many may wonder if it is really worth the effort to steal from a cemetery just to make some money. Bryan McGannon, director of Media Relations & Marketing for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc., which is a trade association representing about 3,500 scrapyards across the nation, states the prices for these metals are so high right now.
“Some metals like copper are selling for about 3 times what they were selling for 2 years ago,” said McGannon. “While I can't get into the mind of a criminal, metals are just another item that has value that is readily available and frequently not secured or locked up.”

Melanie Nied, a law firm receptionist at Anspauch Meeks Ellenberger LLP, feels there may be another reason some individuals do this crime.

“People need money for habits they have,” said Nied. “It may be to support a drug habit.”

According to Sandusky Register.com, Capt. Paul Sigsworth of the Erie Country Sheriff’s Office agrees that drugs may be a factor.

“Many thefts are motivated by drug habits,” said Sigsworth. “It’s gotten worse lately because of heroin usage.”

Drugs also happened to be a reason for the flagpole incident.

According to the Toledo Blade, Denise Ann Dartt, a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge, sentenced Kuhn to one year in prison August 8, 2007 after he pleaded no contest to felony vandalism. Judge Dartt imposed the maximum sentence after Kuhn asked that he be given time in prison to kick his drug addiction.

Law enforcement and scrap yards are trying various methods to combat this problem. Police officers make unannounced visits while scrap yard use a security system to keep tabs customers.

According to 13abc.com, as officers make unannounced visits to scrap yards, Sgt. Joe Heffernan of the Toledo Police department says, “We want to make sure one person comes in, they have valid government issued ID, positively identify that person, identify what the property is and where it came from.”

13abc.com further states R&M Recycling relies on a computerized security system to keep tabs on its customers and their purchases. R&M's David Willet says, "Anyone that comes into the yard is on camera 24 hours a day and in our computer we have signatures that are required, ID required. So that's all on file."

Businesses that don't play by the rules face being shut down by code enforcement officers.

According to freep.com, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is trying to raise private money to pay for two full-time prosecutors devoted to pursuing cases of scrap metal theft. She also is planning to meet with Wayne County Circuit Court judges to urge tougher sentences on scrap metal theft, which is a misdemeanor.

The global economy may encourage crimes such as these to be committed. Something as small stealing scrap metal is generating a billion dollar market.

With the damage done to public lighting, homes and businesses from thieves looking to strip them of copper and other metals for sale, Worthy said such crimes must be punished more harshly.

But John Waunick said it best… it’s big business.