The provincial government is looking to enact stiff new laws on scrap metal dealers to crack down on copper thieves.
On Wednesday, Solicitor General Shirley Bond announced Bill 13, the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act, which is designed to save utilities, municipalities and taxpayers millions of dollars per year in theft prevention.
“This law is critical to protecting infrastructure across B.C. – those critical communications links between our homes and 911 emergency services and between first responders themselves,” said Bond.
“Our approach will ensure metal thieves don’t profit from their crimes, while minimizing the cost and administrative burden for the law-abiding worker in our scrap and recycling sector.”
Reports of metal theft across the Lower Mainland have become commonplace in recent years as prices for sought after commodities such as copper have reached new highs.
Although metal thieves have brazenly targeted copper telephone wire, they’ve also gone after construction sites, which is costly for the development sector.
In September, Business in Vancouver revealed that many of the construction site thefts in recent months appear to be well-planned crimes, instead of opportunistic ventures designed to feed addictions. (See “Crime storeys” – issue 1144; September 27-October 3.)
According to the Vancouver Police Department, there’s been a shift toward tool, appliance and flooring thefts at construction sites this year.
In fact, only two construction site thefts in Vancouver this year involved copper wire or tubing.
Bill 13, meantime, is designed to deter metal thieves and hold scrap dealers accountable.
The proposed law would require dealers to record the type and origin of the metal they purchase, the seller’s personal information (including address) and maintain records for a minimum of one year.
The law would also prohibit dealers from buying regulated scrap metal from any seller unable or unwilling to provide their contact information.
Joel McKay
@jmckaybiv