Atlanta Watershed Management employees arrested for scrap metal theft

ATLANTA (Scrap Monster): Two Watershed Management workers were arrested by Atlanta Police for stealing brass parts, copper parts and residential water meters.

According to reports, both these employees had started stealing scrap metal from 2008 onwards and have been selling them for cash at local pawn shops. The employees identified as Charles Edwards and William Spaulding were part of water distribution crews for a long time.

As per Police, the arrests are part of investigation stretching back to 2008. The Department audit conducted during September last year had found that the city failed to account for 10,000 water meters bought between 2006 and 2010. The 40-page audit report also stated that the department failed to implement sufficient security mechanisms at its warehouses, thereby leading to rampant thefts by employees. It further noted that it was extremely difficult to quantify how much equipment have been stolen. Also, law department is conducting enquiry into an incident where identities of several employees had been stolen.

More arrests are likely to happen soon as a reward of $10,000 is being announced for any information leading to arrests.

Meantime, the city in an attempt to prevent further theft incidents has already installed sophisticated surveillance cameras at its seven locations. It has also decided to barcode the properties and warehouses starting July this year.