Construction Industry Crime Prevention Program

Suspicious Activity Alert - Sacramento County, CA

Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:01

24 Hour Reward Hotline: 1-800-777-9319

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More Copper Wire Stolen from Teichert in Sacramento

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 15:02

Teichert Aggregates loses over 3,000 feet of S/O Cable in Sacramento County, CA

If you have information regarding this theft, please contact CICP at our

24 Hour Reward Hotline: 1-800-777-9319

Click here to download the flyer.

3000 feet of copper wire stolen from Teichert Aggregates

Tuesday, 09 February 2010 15:47

Teichert Aggregates loses over 3,000 feet of stranded copper wire in Sacramento County, CA

If you have information regarding this theft, please contact CICP at our

24 Hour Reward Hotline: 1-800-777-9319

Click here to download the flyer.

Study Calls for Closer Cooperation to Reduce Metals Thefts

Monday, 01 February 2010 10:03

ISRI Members at the Forefront of Cooperative Efforts to Combat Thefts

ISRI agrees with the key findings of "Scrap Yards and Metal Theft Insurance Claims in 51 U.S. Cities," by Dr. Kevin Whiteacre of the University of Indianapolis. These key findings include the statement that metals theft provides "an excellent opportunity for cooperation between law enforcement and scrapyard operators to work together to reduce purchases of stolen metals and maintain the integrity of the scrap market. ISRI is only disappointed that this key finding is buried at the end of the Discussion Section of the study, where it may be overlooked.

"ISRI has been promoting cooperative relationships with law enforcement agencies for many years," stated Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. "One of the many strong points of this research is that it does not seek to place blame. Instead, it provides hard data to suggest that the scrap recycling industry both provides an excellent source of information for law enforcement through cooperative relationships and the scrap industry should accept that responsibility. ISRI's work on the metal theft issue strongly tracks that same conclusion."

In 2006, ISRI published a document for the scrap recycling industry entitled "Recommended Practices and Procedures for Minimizing the Risks of Purchasing Stolen Scrap Materials." Mirroring Dr. Whiteacre's research, the paper calls on recyclers to open lines of communication with law enforcement to work cooperatively in addressing theft issues. The document was revised in 2008 to include other nonmetallic items that have been the target of thieves. The paper is available at www.isri.org/theft.

"Dr. Whiteacre's research statistically confirming a relationship between the presence of scrap yards and the metal theft rate is the first solid data available pointing to the scrap industry's role as a stakeholder in curbing metal theft crime," Wiener said.

"Dr. Whiteacre's research does not seek to place blame or cast aspersion," she continued. "Instead, it provides hard data to suggest that the scrap recycling industry both provides an excellent source of information for law enforcement through cooperative relationships and that the scrap industry should accept that responsibility. ISRI's work strongly tracks that same conclusion.”

The research, which was made available to ISRI in draft form, notes that a correlation between the number of scrap yards and the level of metal theft crime does not necessarily mean causation of the crime. "The paper further points to many theft prevention efforts by ISRI and its members as examples of ways recyclers can and do work with other stakeholders, specifically highlighting www.ScrapTheftAlert.com and information available at www.isri.org/theft,” Wiener stated.

ISRI's www.ScrapTheftAlert.com system, as noted in the study, allows law enforcement to notify scrap yards when metal theft is reported, allowing scarp yards to "be on the lookout" for stolen materials. The system has proven to be effective in catching thieves bringing in stolen materials, as well as retrieving and returning those materials to their rightful owners. The system also allows "reverse alerts" where scrap recyclers can notify local law enforcement agencies when they see "suspicious" materials coming into their yards. Many scrap recycling facilities also require photo identification for every retail transaction, including scanning the driver's license, taking photos of the material, and recording the licence plate of the vehicle bringing in materials to the yards. Records of these transactions are maintained electronically along with the invoice of the sale. Scrap recyclers also make these records available to police when needed.

To enhance the effectiveness of the industry's cooperation with law enforcement, ISRI has also hired a former police officer involved in investigating metal thefts as its official liaison with law enforcement agencies. Gary Bush, formerly a metal theft investigator and detective with the Ocala, Fla. Sheriff's Department, is working closely with law enforcement agencies and their state and national associations to foster even closer working relationships with the scrap recycling industry to combat metal thefts.

"ISRI applauds Dr. Whiteacre's work providing hard data that can help all stakeholders take substantive action to control a crime that harms our industry, our communities, and our economy," Wiener concluded.