Scrap Metal Theft on the Rise

Scrap Metal Theft on the Rise

Move over gold market! There are other metals gaining attention today. The cost of scrap metals (such as aluminum, copper, iron and steel) has been on the rise in recent years. As a result, there has been an upward trend in metal theft. Representative Baxter Troutman, during the 2008 Florida Legislative Session, took the lead to help pass a bill strengthening regulations of recyclable metals.¹ Local Governments in Florida are taking steps to further regulate the metal market.

In August 2010 the Orlando City Council adopted an ordinance hoping to make metal sales to secondary dealers more difficult and less desirable. This ordinance “prohibits secondary metals recyclers from entering into cash transactions in excess of $50 (rather than $1,000) with the same seller in a single day and requires any payment to a seller in excess of $50 to be made by check and mailed to a seller’s physical street address.”²

Hillsborough County is taking a step further and requiring secondary metals recyclers to electronically report all purchase transaction information to law enforcement. Hillsborough County’s new ordinance is expected to cause an increase in law enforcement activity, but the County Commission is hoping to see a decline in metal theft.³

Other metal ordinance trends have also been tracked by OrdinanceWatch™. For example the Hialeah Gardens City Council (in Miami-Dade County) recently adopted an ordinance to allow metal as an acceptable residential roofing material.⁴ In Clay County, the Commission recently approved revisions to the Building Code to allow metal in the construction of Accessory Buildings.⁵

Have you taken advantage of the recycled metal materials market? What have you bought or sold recently? Have you been a victim of recycled metal theft? Do you feel that ordinances can make much of an impact on recycled metal crimes? Please comment and share your thoughts!

Listed below are Scrap Metal issue examples tracked by OrdinanceWatch™. Visit our website at http://www.OrdinanceWatch.com where you can sign up for advance notice of pending local government action.

• Hillsborough County, FL Approves Amendment to the Secondary Metals Recyclers Ordinance

• Orlando, FL Adopts Ordinance Regarding Secondary Metal Recycling

• Hialeah Gardens, FL Adopts LDR Ordinance regarding Metal as an Acceptable Residential Roofing Material

• Clay County, FL Approves Revisions to the Metal Accessory Building Code

• Riviera Beach, FL Rejects Ordinance Regarding Zoning for Scrap Metal Processing Facilities

^{1. Maready, Jeremy. “As Scrap Metal Theft Problem Grows, New Law May Help | TheLedger.com.” Lakeland FL News, Sports, Weather, Classifieds | TheLedger.com | The Lakeland Ledger. 6 May 2008. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.theledger.com/article/20080506/BREAKING/898636106>.}

^{2. “Office of the City Clerk.” City of Orlando. 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.cityoforlando.net/cityclerk/citycouncil/ag_min.html>.}

^{3. “Agendas.” Hillsborough County Government Online. 21 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/agendas/home.cfm>.}

^{4. “Agendas.” Hialeah Gardens City Council. 16 Jun. 2010. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. http://www.cityofhialeahgardens.com/cohg2/.}

^{5. “Clay County Commission.” Welcome to Clay County, Florida. 27 July 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.claycountygov.com/>.}