Abstract
The recycling industry in the United States generates more than $87 billion in economic activity and employs nearly 788,000 persons annually. The most commonly recycled metals are copper, iron, steel, aluminum, and brass, which are often collected by individuals who refer to themselves as scrappers and then sold as scrap to be recycled. However, little is known about scrappers, and as the number of scrappers grows, so do instances of metal theft. This criminal activity is having a devastating impact on the built environment, individuals, governments, and businesses. The consequences of theft include not only the stolen metal, but also the frequent and expensive damage to property and equipment in the process. Very few organizations track metal thefts, which makes it difficult to prevent.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bennett, L. (2008). Assets under attack: Metal theft, the built environment and the dark side of the global recycling market. Environmental Law and Management, 20, 176–183.
Berinato, S. (2007, February). Red gold rush: The copper theft epidemic. Chief Security Officer. Retrieved from http://www.csoonline.com/article/2121953/loss-prevention/red-gold-rush--the-copper-theft-epidemic.html?page=1
Burnett, J., Kussainov, N., & Hull, E. (2014). Scrap metal thefts: Is legislation working for states? Lexington, KY: The Council of State Governments.
CTC & Associates LLC. (2013). Design practices and products for deterring copper wire theft. Sacramento, CA: Caltrans Division of Research and Innovation.
Electrical Safety Foundation International. (2009). Copper theft baseline survey of utilities. Rosslyn, VA: Electrical Safety Foundation International.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2008). Copper thefts threaten U.S. critical infrastructure. Washington, DC: FBI Criminal Intelligence Section.
Ferrell, J. (2006). Empire of scrounge: Inside the urban underground of dumpster diving, trash picking and street scavenging. New York: New York University Press.
Fischer, T. (2008, February). Trouble brewing. Scrap Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.isri.org/news-publications/scrap-magazine/scrap-articles/trouble-brewing
John Dunham and Associates. (2013). Economic impact study: U.S. based scrap recycling industry (2013)—Executive summary. Washington DC: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.
Kooi, B. (2010). Theft of scrap metal: Problem-oriented guides for police series. Guide No. 58. US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Kudla, J. (2012). Data analytics forecast report: Metal theft claims and questionable claims from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011. Des Plaines, IL: National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Metropolitan Pima Alliance. (2014, December). Metal watch task force. Retrieved from http://mpaaz.org/advocacy/metal-theft-task-force
Posick, C., Rocque, M., Whiteacre, K., & Mazeika, D. (2012). Examining metal theft in context: An opportunity theory approach. Justice Research and Policy, 14(2), 79–102.
Rinehart, J. (2015, February 20). Indianapolis sees surge of metal thefts. ABC 6. Retrieved from http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/indianapolis-sees-surge-of-metal-thefts
Schoenfelder, J. (2009). Options for reducing copper theft (Vol. 657). Arizona Department of Transportation.
Stanfill, J. (2008). Catalytic converter thefts. Des Plaines, IL: National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Whiteacre, K., Terheide, D., & Biggs, B. (2014). Research brief: Metal thefts in Indianapolis October 1, 2011–September 30, 2013. Indianapolis: University of Indianapolis Community Research Center.
Zimring, C. A. (2009). Cash for your trash: Scrap recycling in America. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stickle, B.F. (2017). Introduction. In: Metal Scrappers and Thieves. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57502-5_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57502-5_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57501-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57502-5
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)