Washington, DC – The more than 1,700 member companies of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) offered thanks and their continued partnership this week to the men and women of law enforcement who work each and every day to prevent scrap theft. With scrap theft a problem in many communities, causing significant damages and interrupting services, ISRI and its members are teaming up with police through an international notification system, ScrapTheftAlert.com, to deter and catch thieves.
“ScrapTheftAlert.com has proven to be an effective tool in combatting scrap theft around the country and in Canada,” said Gary Bush, national law enforcement liaison and director of material theft prevention for ISRI. “I strongly encourage all law enforcement, scrap recyclers, utilities, and others involved in the industry or effected by scrap theft to sign up for notifications. Working together we can send a strong message to thieves that if you steal scrap, you will be caught.”
ScrapTheftAlert.com is a free tool for law enforcement that allows police to alert the scrap industry of significant thefts of materials in the United States and Canada. Upon validation and review, alerts are broadcast by email to all subscribed users within a 100 mile radius of where the incident occurred. There are more than 16,500 registered users of the service, including more than 6,600 law enforcement officers from federal, state, local, and military police departments. Since 2008, more than 11,597 alerts have been issued through the system. Since 2011, ScrapTheftAlert.com has led to 162 known successful outcomes, 238 arrests or warrants issued, and more than $1.3 million in recovered property.
One example of a successful outcome occurred in Hookstown, PA, when a brass bell dating back to 1871 and valued at $2,000 was stolen from Frankfort Springs Presbyterian Church in May 2012. The Pennsylvania State Police issued an alert through ScrapTheftAlert.com and two days later when the thieves tried to sell the bell to Six Recycling in East Liverpool, OH, the recycling company was able to notify the police and the thieves were arrested on the spot.
In addition to ScrapTheftAlert.com, ISRI conducts workshops across the country bringing law enforcement and scrap recyclers together to share ideas and discuss ways to work together to reduce scrap theft.
“Scrap recyclers are here to assist law enforcement and prosecutors in every way possible to prevent materials theft, and catch, prosecute, and penalize perpetrators when it does occur,” said Bush.
Law enforcement interested in learning more about how they can partner with local scrap recyclers can contact Gary Bush at 352-433-2477. Bush is a former law enforcement officer and metal theft investigator.
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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI)
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the Voice of the Recycling Industry™. ISRI represents more than 1,700 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides education, advocacy, and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. For more information about ISRI, visit www.ISRI.org.