Clampdown on scrap metal dealers results in sharp drop in metal theft rate

LONDON (Scrap Monster): According to West Midlands Police, the number of metal thefts has seen significant fall during recent years. The introduction of Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 along with strict controls imposed by enforcement officials have contributed to the sharp fall in scrap metal thefts. As per official police records, the metal theft incidents recorded by West Midlands Police have fallen drastically from almost 350 per month in 2012 to as low as 60 per month during 2016.

The metal theft offences recorded by the police has seen sharp decline recently, says statistics released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The 42 police forces across the country recorded 16,155 metal theft offences during the year ending March 2016. The number of offences dropped heavily by 38% over the previous year. 36% decline was reported in infrastructure-related crimes, whereas non-infrastructure-related metal thefts reduced by 40%. All regions reported decline in metal theft offence rates. As per records, there has been consistent drop in metal theft rates in the country since 2012. The report also noted that the highest rate of metal theft offences was recorded in the Northern regions.

The legislation banning cash payments for scrap metals has played prominent role in achieving low metal theft incident rate. In addition, sharp plunge in scrap metal prices also contributed to the decline in metal thefts. On top of that, the wide media coverage has made life difficult for thieves, making it unable for them to dispose of their stolen scrap metal. The police have been successful in conducting thorough checks on scrap metal collection vans. The ‘Operation Steel’ initiative launched in partnership with scrap dealers has led to spot inspections at scrap yards across the West Midlands.

Recently, the British Metal Recycling Association (BMRA) had requested the Home Office to launch a review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, ahead of the due date. Under Section 18 of the bill, Secretary of State is supposed to review the Act within five years of coming into force, which makes the review due in 2018. As part of the early review, industry participants, law enforcement agencies and other related parties will be allowed to express their views on how successful the Act has been and whether it is appropriate to retain the Act.

The new Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 brings forward a revised regulatory regime for the scrap metal dealing and vehicle dismantling industries. It gives local authorities the power to better regulate these industries by providing a power to grant a license and revoke the same if the dealer is considered 'unsuitable’. The Act requires all individuals and businesses to complete an enhanced application process to obtain a scrap metal dealer license. Also, it requires all sellers of metal to provide personal identification at the point of sale. In addition, the law makes it an offence to deal with cash during scrap metal transactions.