Thieves Beware: New Scrap Metal Theft Law was Enacted July 1st
Thieves could be getting more time for stealing copper and other scrap metals.
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The Atlanta Police Department recently welcomed the newly enacted scrap metal theft law and said, it will "help curb crime." This action will hopefully bring a swift end to random thieves trying to steal air condition units and its metals. If they plan to turn in their stolen metal for money, they now must be registered recyclers.
According to a recent APD press release, A new law passed by the Georgia General Assembly this year that will go into effect on Sunday (July 1st) will greatly aid the Atlanta Police Department’s ability to combat metals theft.
“These laws that we advocated for will aid greatly in removing the economic incentives for thieves to steal air conditioner coils, copper wire, catalytic converters and other metals commonly targeted for recycling,” Chief Turner said. “Other portions of the law will assist us in our efforts to both regulate recyclers and investigative thefts. We’re grateful to the General Assembly and others who worked tirelessly to pass these laws.”
The provisions in House Bill 872, signed by Gov. Nathan Deal and taking effect on July 1st, include:
-A prohibition on cash payments from recyclers to sellers of scrap metal. Sellers
also must wait three days before cashing a check or voucher issued to a seller as payment.-Scrap metal recyclers must register with their county sheriff’s office and receive a permit to do business. Failure to do business without a permit will be illegal.
-Metals recyclers will also be required to enter all transactions into a new database maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Recyclers will be required to submit photographs of the property they buy, the checks or vouchers they issue as payment, a signed and sworn affidavit from a seller regarding ownership of material recycled, and an image of the seller’s face.
-It is now illegal for a recyclers to buy air conditioner coils or copper wire unless the seller is a licensed contractor. Also, copper wire that has been heated, charred or burned (often done to conceal identify of owner) cannot be purchased by recyclers.
-The purchase of burial objects will be illegal, unless sold by a licensed funeral director or cemetery. (There have been cases of metal plaques and urns taken stolen cemeteries and sold).-Recyclers will only be allowed to operate between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., ensuring transactions are held during daylight hours most of the year.
Charles Lawrence
5:39 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012
It will be interesting to see if this LAW helps to decrease the copper pipe thefts. This problem has been out of hand for a long time.
A Kasdin
1:04 pm on Monday, July 9, 2012
No, it won't. None of the people involved (including the GRA) asked small businesses how this could work better and punish the right person. It doesn't punish the thief; it punishes the poor who scrap for a living who now get a check for amounts that total less than $1; the thief still can sell and the recycler can still sell the material. Even if they do everything right, the recycler has no evidence for the police and the case will be closed.
No one, I mean NO ONE profits from this except the banks, who charge to cash the small checks. And small community recyclers are going to be out of business because of the fees and the customers who don't want a check - well, they'll go to the illegal place down the street for a little less, but it's cash.
The regulations are punitive for the recycler, not the criminal. The only way to stop theft is to punish...you guessed it: the criminal! Use the recyclers as a first line of defense: they collect enough information to prosecute!