General Resources
FAQs About Metal Theft
Metals theft has become an overwhelming problem for communities across the United States and for countries around the world. It involves police, community businesses, local governments, and scrap dealers. As prices for a variety of recycled metals go up in price due to growing demand, criminals take advantage of nearly every opportunity available to them to steal these materials. Thieves look for targets of opportunity and since too often some of these materials are not well-guarded or secured, the opportunity for theft exists.
Generally non-ferrous metals such as copper and aluminum are the most commonly stolen metals. However, theft of ferrous metals, such as iron and steel is also a problem across the country
Increased demand for metals from both domestic and international markets drive up prices. Strong economic conditions that exist on several continents have led to high demand for these materials.
It is often difficult to tell the difference between stolen and legitimate materials. Unfortunately, the reality is that in most cases by the time the metals reach a recycler it has been stripped, crushed, cut into pieces, or otherwise altered in such a way to make it indistinguishable from the legitimate scrap materials purchased by a recycler each day.
Local law enforcement needs to sensitize their personnel to the growing problem of metals theft and train them in the proper identification of materials likely to be stolen so they can be on the watch for these materials during routine investigations. They also need to encourage likely victims of these thefts to secure and/or guard these materials so they do not pose an easy opportunity for thieves.
Statutes:
• N.C.G.S. Chapter 66, Article 45, Part 3. Regulation of Sales and Purchases of Metals. § 66-420 to § 66-431
• N.C.G.S. Chapter 14, Subch. VI, Article 21, § 14-164.1. Possession of catalytic converter removed from a motor vehicle.
Recent Amendments
• 2013 North Carolina SB 583
• 2021 North Carolina SB 99 (effective December 1, 2021)
• 2022 North Carolina SB 201 (effective December 1, 2022)
Keep NC Beautiful
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National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
NMVTIS is a tool that assists states and law enforcement in deterring and preventing title fraud and other crimes.
NC FreeEnterprise Foundation - List of Legislators
The NC FreeEnterprise Foundation has a link at their website that will allow you to find information about your district's representatives in the NC Senate or the NC House of Representatives with their contact information. Note: Once on their home page, click the small page on the right to download the entire list of legislators.
North Carolina General Assembly
For information about what the NC General Assembly is working on, click the link to the NCGA website. There you will also find how to contact your representatives and see what legislation is before the Assembly.
Recycling Today Magazine
The news and information website for recycling professionals
Scrap Magazine
The bimonthly magazine of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association with more than 1,600 member companies that process, broker, and consume scrap commodities, including ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, glass, textiles, rubber, and plastics.
