On Valentine's Day, TV news reported that drainage grates were disappearing from the streets and parking lots in Clifton, New Jersey. Bronze plaques were also pried off war memorials. Gaps in the pavement created dangerous pedestrian hazards and the desecration of the memorials was heartbreaking for the community. Police attributed it to metal thieves and suggested that the culprits may be methamphetamine addicts looking to pay for a quick fix. Law enforcement experts believe that the majority of the thefts are crimes of opportunity rather than anything organized.
In a tough economy, however, and with the rising prices of scrap metals, random crimes of opportunity are aggravating the metal theft situation.
Unfortunately, increased metal thefts are happening at a time when state and municipal budgets are being stretched to pay for essential services. It also comes when hiring freezes and cuts in law enforcement are being imposed. The reality is that in many jurisdictions, more serious crimes take higher priority.
Gary Bush, the national law enforcement liaison director of material theft prevention at Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), spent 33 years in Florida law enforcement as a patrol officer, sergeant and field training supervisor.
In his last years in Florida, he was a metal theft investigator. In October, 2008 Bush joined ISRI. Today he oversees ScrapTheftAlert.com, ISRI's web-based system that helps members and law enforcement catch thieves, recover materials and return them to the rightful owner.
"I handle most of the day to day operations for the system for the United States and Canada, approving alerts issued by recyclers and other stakeholders, vetting new officers into the system, and providing guidance to those using it. I've also developed an outreach plan, conducting workshops to help law enforcement and recyclers learn how we can help each other in combating metal theft."
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