A strengthened scrap metal bill, three years in the works, moved one step closer to law on Wednesday.
The goal of the bill is to provide law enforcement with better support to track and successfully prosecute metal thieves, who may steal metal property in one location, destructively turn it into scrap metal, and then attempt to sell it to metal recycling businesses in other locations. A new and important feature of the bill is creation of a new online database to track sales and purchases of certain types of items that are often, but by no means always, stolen.
“The reporting database is a very potent tool for law enforcement, already under way in other states. In fact, a representative of the Michigan State Police actually referred me to one specific service available to law enforcement that could be helpful to the State of Michigan”, said Attorney Jonathan Raven of Fraser Trebilcock, on behalf of scrap processors.
Continue reading Scrap Metal Recyclers Support Stronger Metal Theft Law