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> Richards on scrap theives
Southsider2k12
post Jun 27 2008, 09:56 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=43263.03

QUOTE
Thieves Get Pennies On Dollar For Scrap
Rick Richards
City Editor, The News-Dispatch

Three times since the beginning of the year, a south side business owner I know has been victimized by thieves. The thieves are called "scrappers," a cute name to describe a dirty occupation. Scrapper is far too polite a word for what they do.

They're burglars, thieves, crooks, and they take things that don't belong to them without regard for other people's property.

This business owner I mentioned has twice had holes knocked or cut into the walls of his building. In the latest incident last week, a hole was cut in his roof.

And what were the thieves after? Metal. In this case, copper.

The really frustrating thing is when that metal is sold to a scrap yard, the people who took it will be paid pennies on the dollar for its real value. But the business owner who was burglarized will have to pay full price to replace it. And who makes up the difference? We do. When that business owner shows up at someone's house after receiving a call, he'll have to mark up his cost more than he'd like in order to cover his expenses, which are a lot higher now because of scrap thieves.

But this business owner isn't alone. Scrap metal thieves are everywhere. Each week when I set out my garbage, it's a certainty that just around midnight a battered pickup truck will slowly drive up and down my street and someone in that truck will go through every garbage can looking for scrap. OK, I'm throwing it away and I can't really complain if he's hauling off something I consider trash, but I've come to realize that is his job.

As far as I know, he's not breaking into any buildings or cutting catalytic converters from cars and trucks, which seems to be the latest craze in La Porte and rural La Porte County.

The fact that these thieves are so brazen as to cut a hole in a wall of a business or cut a catalytic converter out of a truck parked on a busy street or walk onto a business' storage yard and take I-beams, as happened earlier this year from a contractor's business on the city's West Side, makes them dangerous characters.

Don't scoff. Last winter, two groups of metal thieves ran into each other in South Bend and four of them wound up dead. The bodies were found hidden in two manholes on abandoned industrial property. The two men arrested said they thought the four had stolen some of the metal they had collected. By collected, they meant it was metal they had stolen from someone else.

Maybe it's the economy. When things go sour like this, people get desperate. Whether they need cash for gas for their truck or a roof over their head or food on the table - or drugs in their veins or up their nose - they do things they shouldn't do.

Economic hardship, however, doesn't excuse their actions. By trying to ease their economic hardship, they create a hardship for someone else.

That business owner I told you about now has thousands of dollars in building repairs, and I can only imagine what will happen to his insurance rates.

Calling someone a scrapper is too polite a word. They're thieves and ought to be treated as such.
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Roger Kaputnik
post Jun 27 2008, 10:28 AM
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The scrap yards are not keeping the records like they are supposed to, as has been discussed at length in another thread.


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ChickenCityRoller
post Jun 27 2008, 02:59 PM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ Jun 27 2008, 11:28 AM) *
The scrap yards are not keeping the records like they are supposed to, as has been discussed at length in another thread.




Posted: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sound Off! entry by: Geoff Wendt</FONT>

Scrappers Targeting Catalytic Converters
All scrapers are required by state law to get a lot more info than just a name. According to Indiana Law IC 25-37.5-1-2, every valuable metal dealer in this state shall enter on forms provided by the state police department for each purchase of valuable metal the following information: 1) The name and address of the dealer. 2) The date and place of each purchase. 3) The name, address, age, driver's license number or Social Security number of the person or persons from whom the valuable metal was purchased. 4) The motor vehicle license number of the vehicle or conveyance on which the valuable metal was delivered to the dealer. 5) The price paid for the metal. 6) A description and weight of the valuable metal purchased. (cool.gif The completed form shall be kept in a separate book or register by the dealer and shall be retained for a period of two years. Such book or register shall be made available for inspection by any law enforcement official at any time. Within 24 hours from the date of purchase of a valuable metal the valuable metal dealer shall notify the local law enforcement agency in writing or orally of the description of the purchase and the name of the individual who sold the product to the dealer. Notification is not required for such purchases if a bill of sale or other evidence of ownership is presented at the time of the sale of the product to the dealer from a public utility, railroad, county, city or state highway department, public or private school, or an institution of higher education. THE SCRAP YARDS perpetuate these crimes by doing NONE of the above and enable the thieves. I'm not sure if the police are even aware of this law since it is so rarely enforced.



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Roger Kaputnik
post Jun 30 2008, 07:34 AM
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We have discussed this before: Why can't the PD send a cop around one morning and check it out?


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Ang
post Jun 30 2008, 09:22 AM
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Because they are too busy ignoring people on the west side?


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Roger Kaputnik
post Jun 30 2008, 12:36 PM
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BUSY while IGNORING...only in MC!


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Dan
post Jun 30 2008, 01:07 PM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ Jun 30 2008, 01:36 PM) *

BUSY while IGNORING...only in MC!



Wasn't there a manhole theft empidemic a few years ago?

And I distinctly remembering a story in the ND about a guy who hack sawed a flag pole in broad daylight, and the witness thought it was a Gov't employee because he was so brazen about it.
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Roger Kaputnik
post Jun 30 2008, 02:23 PM
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that is a good one--what if someone gets orange safety vests? They could go anywhere and get whatever they want.


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Dan
post Jun 30 2008, 02:26 PM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ Jun 30 2008, 03:23 PM) *

that is a good one--what if someone gets orange safety vests? They could go anywhere and get whatever they want.


Except into Washington Park without a sticker!!

lol
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Ang
post Jun 30 2008, 03:03 PM
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laugh.gif


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Roger Kaputnik
post Jul 1 2008, 08:10 AM
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Why doesn't Yagelski spend a little time making the rounds instead of writing his little column? ENFORCE the EXISTING law!


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ChickenCityRoller
post Jul 1 2008, 09:12 AM
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Manhole covers disappearing, police looking for 4 large turtles!by Josh Smith Jun 30th 2008 @ 4:30PM

Filed under: Ripoffs and Scams

With scrap metal prices going the same direction as the price of gas at the pump it's no wonder that thefts of metal have been trending up as well. Recently a disturbing trend has shown up in cities across the U.S. where manhole covers are being stolen and sold for scrap! This rash of heavy metal thefts has led some cities to begin welding the covers in place, which has unfortunately prevented the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from getting their fill of delicious pizza!

On a more serious note, the theft of manhole covers is not just only an expensive pain for cities to deal with -- replacement costs range from $200 to $500 -- but also a danger for pedestrians. In Philadelphia, where 600 covers went missing last year, two children have already fallen into the uncovered manholes. Thankfully they only suffered minor injuries. The missing covers have also done damage to many cars whose owners are asking the city to cover the damages.

With all of the problems these thefts create, and the fact that it takes quite a bit of work to replace a 200-pound manhole cover, you'd be surprised to learn that the manhole bandits only receive $10 to $15 per cover. Some of the blame for these rash of thefts lays with unscrupulous scrap metal buyers who don't understand that manhole covers emblazoned with "Property of NYC" mean exactly that!

Even if we take into account the diminished ethical capacities of someone who would steal a manhole cover weighing more than most men, the return on investment is horrible! Assuming the thieves drive to the manhole and then again to a scrap metal location, they'll easily use a gallon of gas, leaving a net profit of $6 to $11. Unless the thief is a body builder the final take will need to be split in half which leaves barely enough to order off the value menu at Taco Bell; let alone enough to buy a significant amount of drugs. With meth's prices starting at $20 for a 1/4 of gram, a team would need to steal four manholes to make a buy, and causing between $800 and $2000 in labor and materials for cities, not to mention any children or vehicles damaged due to the theft.


Gallery: Make cash from metal: How to turn junk into dollars


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ChickenCityRoller
post Jul 1 2008, 09:19 AM
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New street crime: Thieves lift manhole covers
Updated 1d 13h ago | Comments58 | Recommend5 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |


Enlarge By Bob Riha, Jr., for USA TODAY

Ryan Alsop, with the Long Beach Water Department, said nearly 50 of its manhole covers were stolen over the past eight weeks, 10 of them in one day.





Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Stefanie Frith, USA TODAY
Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy.
Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.

"It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron."

It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago.

The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | California | Michigan | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Ohio | Georgia | Palm Springs | Desert Sun | Fall River | Thieves | Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries | Philadelphia Water Department
Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says.

"Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep.

It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the pricetag is $200, Baker says. Elsewhere:

•In Philadelphia, two children fell into uncovered drains, says Martin McCall, a supervisor at the Philadelphia Water Department. They were not badly hurt. McCall says drain covers disappear daily — more than 600 in the past year.

•In Fall River, Mass., 12 manhole covers were taken in the past month, police Sgt. Paul Bernier says.

•Dearborn, Mich., has begun welding manhole covers shut, says Democratic state Rep. Andy Meisner.

•Cherokee County, Ga., is doing the same, Baker says.

A few states are considering legislation. A Missouri law to tighten record-keeping on scrap-metal sales and the identity of sellers, increase penalties for dealing in stolen metal and prohibit businesses from purchasing recognizable government property took effect last month. A similar law took effect in Ohio this month.

Frith reports for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.




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ChickenCityRoller
post Jul 1 2008, 09:19 AM
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New street crime: Thieves lift manhole covers
Updated 1d 13h ago | Comments58 | Recommend5 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |


Enlarge By Bob Riha, Jr., for USA TODAY

Ryan Alsop, with the Long Beach Water Department, said nearly 50 of its manhole covers were stolen over the past eight weeks, 10 of them in one day.





Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Stefanie Frith, USA TODAY
Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy.
Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.

"It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron."

It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago.

The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | California | Michigan | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Ohio | Georgia | Palm Springs | Desert Sun | Fall River | Thieves | Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries | Philadelphia Water Department
Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says.

"Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep.

It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the pricetag is $200, Baker says. Elsewhere:

•In Philadelphia, two children fell into uncovered drains, says Martin McCall, a supervisor at the Philadelphia Water Department. They were not badly hurt. McCall says drain covers disappear daily — more than 600 in the past year.

•In Fall River, Mass., 12 manhole covers were taken in the past month, police Sgt. Paul Bernier says.

•Dearborn, Mich., has begun welding manhole covers shut, says Democratic state Rep. Andy Meisner.

•Cherokee County, Ga., is doing the same, Baker says.

A few states are considering legislation. A Missouri law to tighten record-keeping on scrap-metal sales and the identity of sellers, increase penalties for dealing in stolen metal and prohibit businesses from purchasing recognizable government property took effect last month. A similar law took effect in Ohio this month.

Frith reports for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.




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southyards
post Jul 12 2008, 10:06 PM
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Problem with local checks on stolen scrap metal is simply that it's not sold locally. As with any business like this there exists a 'black market', notably in cities to the West of Michigan City. The thieves (at least the smart ones) know where to sell this stuff without fear of questioning. And those scrapyards can make the material disappear in a very, very, short time. The sellers will receive a reduced price, but no hassle. Some favorite items: NIPSCO service wire, South Shore RR copper items, railroad scrap (spikes & plates from the rails) and journals from rail cars. Also, stolen scrap from industrial facilities. And, in addition, they've stolen plaques made of aluminum or bronze off of bridges and buildings. Not to mention copper gutters and trim from houses and bronze markers off of graves.
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ChickenCityRoller
post Jul 13 2008, 02:34 AM
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QUOTE(southyards @ Jul 12 2008, 11:06 PM) *
Problem with local checks on stolen scrap metal is simply that it's not sold locally. As with any business like this there exists a 'black market', notably in cities to the West of Michigan City. The thieves (at least the smart ones) know where to sell this stuff without fear of questioning. And those scrapyards can make the material disappear in a very, very, short time. The sellers will receive a reduced price, but no hassle. Some favorite items: NIPSCO service wire, South Shore RR copper items, railroad scrap (spikes & plates from the rails) and journals from rail cars. Also, stolen scrap from industrial facilities. And, in addition, they've stolen plaques made of aluminum or bronze off of bridges and buildings. Not to mention copper gutters and trim from houses and bronze markers off of graves.




ALL the scrap yards in MC and LaPorte will take ANYTHING from industrial trim, to funeral urns to man holes. NONE of the scrap yards around here have any scruples. Pauls will make a car turn into a 2' cube in a matter of minutes.



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