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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:56 pm
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Results for metal theft
15 results foundAuthor: Whiteacre, Kevin Title: Scrap Yards and Metal Theft Insurance Claims in 51 U.S. Cities Summary: Metal theft describes the theft of items for the value of their constituent metals. Jurisdictions across the U.S. are reporting increased concerns over metal theft. This study tests the hypothesis that the number of scrap yards in a city correlates with that city's rate of metal theft. Details: Indianapolis, IN: University of Indianapolis, Community Research Center, 2009. 12p. Source: Internet Resource; Research Brief #2 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118757 Keywords: Metal TheftReceiving Stolen GoodsScrap YardsStolen Goods |
Author: Perelygin, Alexander Title: Metal Fingerprint: Countering Illicit Trade in Precious Metals and Gemstones Summary: International efforts to disrupt terrorist and organized crime networks must pay special attention to how these networks are financed. Global trade in precious metals and gemstones has become a significant source of financing for both organized crime and terrorist groups. As the demand for materials bearing precious metals and stones continues to grow, criminal and terrorist networks will exploit weak national and international monitoring of the trade to finance activities that threaten us all. Public-private partnerships offer a real chance of increasing transparency and monitoring in the trade of precious metals and gemstones, thus undermining the financial foundation of global terrorist networks. Serious efforts have been undertaken by governments, international organizations, and the global business community to stem illegal trade in many commodities used in money laundering and terrorist financing—especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States. Significant success has been seen in disrupting the trade of illegal rough diamonds through the Kimberly Process. But success has been elusive in the illegal trafficking of precious metals and gemstones. Efficient law enforcement in this area is hampered by the lack of internationally recognized procedures for certifying batches of primary precious metals-bearing raw materials and a lack of well-established methods of identifying the origin of both precious metals and gemstones. These shortcomings complicate the process of distinguishing between legal and criminal supplies and place a substantially greater burden on the due diligence efforts of precious metals refiners and stonecutters to ascertain the veracity of their customers. Russian research institutes and forensic laboratories, led by the mining and metallurgical company Norilsk Nickel, have devised advanced methods to identify the origin of semi-products bearing platinum-group metals (PGM). This methodology can be expanded to other metal groups and gemstones, taking the form of a Platinum Initiative to ensure efficient certification procedures in the international metal trade and strengthen existing certification schemes in the diamond and gemstones industries. In July 2007, an informal international working group, including experts from the private sector, government, and independent think tanks, was established under the auspices of the G8 in order to explore the potential of the Platinum Initiative. The conclusions and recommendations formulated in this policy paper are to a large extent based on the initial findings discussed at the first three meetings of this Working Group held in July and October 2007 and February 2008. Key Recommendations include the following: Develop the Platinum Initiative into a strong industry-focused program that includes: an international register of verified and legitimate traders in PGM; enhanced customs control procedures to identify PGM-bearing goods; internationally shared databases of PGM-bearing raw materials; enhanced control measures in mining and metallurgical companies; an international network of certified forensic and expert laboratories capable of tracing the origins of the goods and commodities in question. Coordinate the enforcement mechanisms of the Platinum Initiative with the relevant international organizations—in particular, the World Customs Organization (WCO), appropriate UN agencies, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the G8 governments. Incorporate data on platinum-metals bearing goods and materials into the existing WCO framework using tracking systems such as the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Customs Enforcement Network. Establish standardized procedures for information-sharing between national law enforcement agencies and PGM-producing companies to respond rapidly to the appearance of suspicious consignments of unfinished precious metals-bearing materials on the market. Strengthen the implementation and regulatory framework of the World Bank’s anti-money laundering (AML) program to reflect the significant role of illegal precious metals trading as an instrument of terrorist financing. Details: New York: East West Institute, 2008. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Paper 4/2008: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://www.ewi.info/metal-fingerprint-countering-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-gemstones Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.ewi.info/metal-fingerprint-countering-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-gemstones Shelf Number: 119899 Keywords: Illegal TradeMetal TheftOrganized CrimePrecious MetalsTerrorist FinancingTerrorists |
Author: Hartelius, Jonas Title: A Draft Convention on Illicit Trade in Precious Metals and Precious Gems Summary: Unregulated or illegal production and trade in precious metals, such as platinum, and precious gems, such as diamonds, have become a source of funding for conflicts. Efforts to curb and control the illegal handling of such metals and gems have had only limited success to date. An over-arching legal framework has been lacking. Considering the need for an international framework, the EastWest Institute and the Swedish Carnegie Institute have commissioned Jonas Hartelius, Senior Fellow at EWI and Scientific Adviser to the SCI, to draft a proposed convention for the United Nations. Such a convention would provide a legal framework for efforts by all parties involved to create a transparent and responsible trade in such metals and gems. The publishers hope this draft for a convention will initiate further discussions. Details: New York: EastWest Institute and Swedish Carnegie Institute, 2009. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://www.ewi.info/draft-convention-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-precious-gems Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.ewi.info/draft-convention-illicit-trade-precious-metals-and-precious-gems Shelf Number: 119904 Keywords: Illicit TradeMetal TheftPrecious Metals |
Author: Kooi, Brandon R. Title: Theft of Scrap Metal Summary: This guide begins by describing the problem of scrap metal theft and reviewing factors that increase its risk. It then identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local scrap-metal theft problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about these responses from evaluative research and police practice. While stolen precious metals include gold and silver—commonly targeted in residential burglaries — for the purposes of this guide, scrap metal theft includes mainly stolen copper, aluminum, brass, zinc, nickel, platinum, and bronze. These metals have value only when sold to a scrap metal dealer who arranges for the metal to be melted and reshaped for other uses. By contrast, gold and silver commonly have intrinsic value, either to the thief or to someone else who values the metal in its original shape. Scrap metal theft is but one of the larger set of theft and sale of stolen property problems. This guide is limited to addressing the particular harms scrap metal theft causes. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2010. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 58; Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/pdfs/metal_theft.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/pdfs/metal_theft.pdf Shelf Number: 121210 Keywords: Crime PreventionMetal TheftProblem-Oriented PolicingStolen PropertyTheft Offenses |
Author: Schoenfelder, Jeremy Title: Options for Reducing Copper Theft Summary: This research investigated the theft of copper, including scope, impacts, and countermeasures. The researchers completed a literature review to demonstrate a global perspective of the problem. They took a survey of other state departments of transportation, utility companies, and developers to determine both successful and unsuccessful techniques being used to deter copper theft and the impact copper theft had on other geographical regions and other industries. Additionally, the researchers conducted a site survey to gain knowledge of the specific issues impacting the Arizona Department of Transportation and what mitigation techniques it was implementing. During the time of the research it was found: 1. The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that costs over the last two years have exceeded $500,000. 2. The Arizona Department of Transportation has been diligent in implementing and adapting various methods and/or techniques to prevent copper theft and apprehend culprits. Suggested mitigation techniques include: 1. Implement a collaborative effort among ADOT, the contracted private investigation firm, and outside consultant(s) to review and amend efforts on a periodic basis to maximize effectiveness through a think-tank type of approach. 2. Implement a program that would monitor ongoing development of methods used by other organizations. 3. Make particular use of the Copper Keeper, a device that makes it difficult to pull wire through conduit by locking the wire in place through the tightening of a compression bolt. Details: Tucson, AZ: Arizona Department of Transportation, 2009. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Final Report 657: Accessed August 15, 2011 at: http://www.azdot.gov/TPD/ATRC/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ657.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.azdot.gov/TPD/ATRC/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ657.pdf Shelf Number: 122393 Keywords: Copper Theft (Arizona)Metal TheftVandalism |
Author: Kudla, Joe Title: Metal Theft Claims and Questionable Claims from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 Summary: There were a total of 25,083 claims identified for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum submitted to ISO ClaimSearch between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. Of the 25,083 total claims, 96.1% pertained to the theft of copper. Fifty-five percent of the claims were on commercial policies, while 45% were on personal policies. When the number of metal theft claims per month and monthly average copper prices are compared, the number of claims filed is found to have a statistically significant correlation with the price of copper. From January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011, there were 237 NICB Questionable Claims submitted involving the theft of copper, aluminum, brass, or bronze. Of the 237 total Questionable Claims, 94.5% pertained to the theft of copper. Sixty-six percent were on personal policies, while 31% were on commercial policies. Ohio was the loss state in the most metal theft claims in ISO ClaimSearch, with 19% more claims than Texas, the state with the 2nd largest number of claims. However, in Questionable Claims Ohio ranked 4th, while Illinois topped the rankings. Illinois had 62% more QCs than Texas, the 2nd ranked state in Questionable Claims. When ranked by number of ISO ClaimSearch metal theft claims per 10,000 residents, Rhode Island tops the rankings, followed by Ohio and Delaware. Rhode Island had 25% more metal theft claims per 10,000 residents than Ohio did. The number of claims per 10,000 residents by state was found to be correlated with estimated state drug abuse/dependence rates. The Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) had both the largest number of ISO ClaimSearch metal theft claims and NICB Questionable Claims. The New York-Northern New Jersey- Long Island, NY-NJ-PA CBSA ranked 2nd in ISO ClaimSearch metal theft claims, while Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA ranked 2nd in NICB Questionable Claims. Details: National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), 2012. 11p. Source: Data Analytics ForeCAST Report: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2012 at https://www.nicb.org/File%20Library/Public%20Affairs/Metal-Theft-Claims.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.nicb.org/File%20Library/Public%20Affairs/Metal-Theft-Claims.pdf Shelf Number: 125086 Keywords: Copper TheftInsuranceMetal Theft |
Author: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration Title: An Updated Assessment of Copper Wire Thefts from Electric Utilities Summary: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) monitors changes, threats, and risks to the energy infrastructure in the United States. As part of that responsibility, OE published research in 2007 on the theft of copper wire from electric utilities. Early in 2010 there was evidence of an increase in such thefts. Because of this increase, OE decided to update its 2007 assessment of copper wire thefts. 1 • Electric utilities have launched public awareness campaigns, offered rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of thieves, marked copper wire for easier recovery from scrap metal dealers, and collaborated with stakeholders. Copper wire theft continues today throughout the United States, but the magnitude of theft has been reduced considerably. The problem is not likely to cease as long as copper prices remain sufficiently attractive to would-be thieves. However, the combined efforts of electric utilities, lawmakers, scrap metal dealers, and local law enforcement have succeeded in reducing the problem and driving a wedge between copper price increases and comparable increases in copper theft. • Legislation to reduce copper theft has been introduced in every State and passed into law in all but five States as of August 2010. • Scrap metal dealers are cooperating with utilities and lawmakers, reporting suspected thefts, and disseminating information through ISRI’s Theft Alerts. • Local law enforcement has become more responsive to electric utilities facing copper theft and is collaborating to recover more stolen copper and arrest those responsible. Since the beginning of the 2004 spike in copper prices, copper theft and copper prices have been directly linked. Although this link continues today, the rate of thefts as a function of the upward pull of prices has been mitigated. Details: Wsahington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, 2010. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 23, 2013 at: http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/Updated%20Assessment-Copper-Final-101210%20c.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/Updated%20Assessment-Copper-Final-101210%20c.pdf Shelf Number: 127367 Keywords: Copper TheftMetal TheftTheft Offenses(U.S.) |
Author: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration Title: An Assessment of Copper Wire Thefts from Electric Utilities Summary: Fueled by economic growth, worldwide demand for copper has risen over the past several years. Supply has been unable to keep pace, pushing prices dramatically upward, particularly from 2003 through 2006 when the price per pound of copper rose from around $0.70 to as high as $4.00 by mid-2006. The price then steadily declined until stabilizing at about $2.60 per pound in early 2007. Copper appears to be on the way up again in March 2007, exceeding $3.00 per pound by the middle of the month. Prices continued to climb in April 2007, averaging $3.50 per pound. Tight supplies have lead to an increase in copper recycling, which, in turn, has created a market for used copper and made the material a more attractive target for theft. In fact, thefts of copper wire have been on the rise across the United States, with no apparent geographic pattern and all sectors that use the material, including electric utilities, are being targeted. Thefts of copper wire from utilities occur primarily at substation transformers, from utility poles, or from the back of service trucks. The thefts have several adverse consequences, including the obvious economic impact, service disruptions, and possibly personal injury or death for persons involved in the theft or subsequent recovery efforts. Utilities across the Nation are paying increasing attention to this growing problem and have begun to investigate and implement measures for deterring thefts, protecting facilities, and quickly recovering from any consequences. There are a wide variety of countermeasures that can be taken by electric utilities, working closely with scrap metal dealers and law enforcement officials. Countermeasures include communication and coordination with law enforcement and between utilities; fencing, signs, warnings, lighting, patrolling, and intrusion detection for deterrence; wire and equipment protection to make thefts more difficult; alternate equipment and wire devaluation to make the material less attractive; and rewards, watch programs, and resale waiting periods to make the sale of potentially stolen copper easier to detect. In addition, scrap metal dealers have instituted a Scrap Theft Alert System and state legislators are actively drafting legislation addressing copper wire theft. During the first three months of 2007, 21 states have proposed bills raising the fines and penalties for stealing or dealing stolen copper as well as tightening the record-keeping and licensing requirements for scrap metal dealers. Reducing and ultimately eliminating copper wire theft requires a collaborative effort by electric utilities, scrap metal dealers, law enforcement officials, and state regulators and legislators. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration, 2007.25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 24, 2013 at: http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/copper042707.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/docs/copper042707.pdf Shelf Number: 127393 Keywords: Copper TheftMetal TheftTheft Offenses(U.S.) |
Author: Burnett, Jennifer Title: Scrap Metal Theft: Is Legislation Working for States? Summary: Insurance companies, law enforcement officials and industry watchdogs have called scrap metal theft - including copper, aluminum, nickel, stainless steel and scrap iron - one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. State leaders have taken notice, passing a flurry of legislation meant to curb metal theft and help law enforcement find and prosecute criminals. Researchers at The Council of State Governments, in collaboration with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, set out to determine if all that legislation is having an impact on metal theft rates. To determine if state legislation has been effective at curbing metal theft, a thorough analysis is needed that starts with an evaluation of trends in metal theft incident rates at the state level. After an evaluation of the existing research and interviews with state and local officials and law enforcement personnel across all 50 states, CSG researchers concluded that metal theft data for states are not available for analysis. Because metal theft is such a significant and widespread problem, and because accurately tracking metal theft is key to establishing evidence-based practices designed to both deter theft and to assist in the investigation and prosecution of theft, it is imperative that states evaluate ways to begin collecting these data. Moving forward, it is unlikely data will be available on a scale necessary to perform meaningful analysis unless a widespread effort is launched to create systems to document, track and report metal theft crime uniformly and consistently. CSG researchers recommend continued discussion regarding the development of a uniform tracking system for metal theft or modifications to current systems. Details: Lexington, KY: Council of State Governments, 2014. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2014 at: http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/kc/system/files/MetalTheft_Final%20%2805282014%29.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/kc/system/files/MetalTheft_Final%20%2805282014%29.pdf Shelf Number: 132652 Keywords: Metal TheftProperty TheftScrap Metal Theft (U.S.)Stealing |
Author: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Title: Tracking and Certification of Mineral Output in Southern Africa Summary: The illegal exploitation of minerals and fraudulent manipulation of the volume or the value of exported minerals are enduring challenges for producing countries in Southern Africa. Illegal exploitation of minerals in particular has regularly been linked to instability and conflict in the region. There have been calls for effective mechanisms for regulating the exploitation and movement of the minerals. Regulation of the mining industry in Southern Africa is quite challenging partly because of its history and partly because of its nature. Some of the mineral exploitation occurs in areas with difficult access either because of conflict or because of the nature of the terrain. This makes it difficult to verify any declarations of output issued from such areas. The estimated yield of each mine is based on the scientific analysis of samples collected at various stages of mineral processing. Intimately connected to the prospects for development, the mining industry is also capital intensive and taxing on the personnel and equipment of various stakeholders, including corporate institutions and Governments. This study was conducted against the backdrop of the commitment by SADC member States to gather information on the identity, origin and volume of SADC mineral output in order to develop standardized mechanisms for tracking and certification. This was motivated by the growing conviction within the region that the mineral value chains were being undermined by leakages through neighbouring countries. Gold is said to be illegally imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into Kenya, Burundi and Uganda and re-exported further. Limited benefit accrues to the DRC as a result of the process. Diamonds are said to be illegally imported from Zimbabwe into Mozambique and South Africa for onward exportation. Similar allegations are heard about illegal tin, coltan and woframite which are exported through Rwanda. Monitoring mineral value streams in the producing countries is complicated by the large informal small-scale mining sector active within them. There are also concerns about such practices as transfer pricing by large-scale mining conglomerates taking advantage of intra-group agreements involving the holding companies based in low tax jurisdictions and the subsidiaries based in the region. Transfer pricing abuses take various forms, including over- or under-invoicing of exports and imports, overloading of costs onto the subsidiary, service contracts and intra-group loans. Through such agreements, the holding companies are able to transfer income and allocate costs in a hidden manner that unfairly favours them. These malpractices reduce revenue which would have accrued to the producing States, thus exacerbating poverty amidst a rich natural resources heritage - the so-called 'paradox of plenty!' (UNECA, 2010). The SADC Mining Protocol was adopted in September 1997 by twelve member States and came into force in February 2000. The SADC Mining Sector Co-coordinating Unit (SMSCU), under the previous SADC structure, promoted adoption of the Mining Protocol. The Protocol recognizes that a 'thriving mining sector can contribute to economic development, alleviation of poverty and the improvement of the standard and quality of life throughout the Region.' In principle, the SADC Protocol seeks to'harmonize national and regional policies, strategies and programmes related to the development and exploitation of mineral resources.' In this spirit, SADC aims to develop and adopt common mineral certification standards, in accordance with internationally acceptable standards, in order to minimize illegal trade in minerals and thereby optimize the benefits to member States. SADC member States intend to 'adopt policies that encourage the exploration for and commercial exploitation of mineral resources by the private sector.' Furthermore, the Protocol seeks to facilitate the development of small-scale mining through, among other initiatives, the establishment of marketing facilities, including exhibitions and mineral exchanges. The study on which this report is based proposes a tracking and certification regime that is motivated by the above tenets. It suggests that the same goals that motivated the formulation and adoption of a tracking and certification system for diamonds in Guyana could be adapted by SADC. The key points are: (a) To provide reliable data to States on producer, exporter and purchaser behaviour; (b) To ensure the payment of the royalties and taxes due to the State; (c) To strengthen the State's oversight function along the mineral value chain; and (d) To prevent the mixing of minerals that are lawfully produced and/or acquired with illicitly produced and/or acquired ones in order to reduce illegal trade in minerals and consequently increase legal revenue flows through legal trade at both the national and subregional levels. The Kimberley Process Certification System (KCPS) was prompted by the concern summed up in (d), specifically that lawful output could and, in several demonstrable instances, had been contaminated by rough diamonds originating from zones of conflict. The study on which this report is based concerns minerals other than diamonds. Since some of them, like emeralds, share many characteristics with diamonds, the study borrows some lessons from the KCPS. The scope of the study determined by the terms of reference, namely: (i) To assess legislation and licensing procedures relating to mining, sale and transportation of minerals to overseas markets and their effectiveness in preventing fraudulent trade in mineral commodities; (ii) To examine national technical reporting requirements for mining and export of SADC mineral products and their efficacy in providing needed data for preventing fraudulent trade in mineral commodities; (iii) To review national, regional and international systems for tracking and certifying mineral products and make proposals for a possible tracking and certification system that would ensure an effective product audit trail of SADC minerals; (iv) To examine export documents and regulations and recommend how they might be adjusted to form part of the certification audit trail; (v) To examine customs conventions and formalities to assess how these might affect the formulation and application of rules of origin for a SADC-wide certificate of origin for SADC mineral products; and (vi) To assess current regional integration efforts in trade and how these might help or hinder the development of a SADC certificate of origin for mineral products. The study considered prevailing legislation and licensing procedures in several countries in order to assess their effectiveness in preventing fraud in the trade of minerals. It found that most national legislation did not prioritize this objective, and could not be considered effective in preventing the most pernicious form of illegality in minerals marketing, namely transfer pricing. It found that a tracking regime on its own is not the appropriate vehicle for policing transfer pricing, and that this could be better done by combining centralization of the marketing of minerals and creating incentives for localized beneficiation of mineral output. Details: Addis Ababa: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Subregional Office Southern Africa, 2014. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/tracking-and-certification-of-mineral-output-in-southern-africa.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/tracking-and-certification-of-mineral-output-in-southern-africa.pdf Shelf Number: 137044 Keywords: Crime PreventionIllegal MarketsIllegal TradeKimberley ProcessMetal TheftMineral TheftMiningTheft of Natural Resources |
Author: Association of Chief Police Officers Title: Heritage and Cultural Property Crime: National Policing Strategic Assessment Summary: What is Heritage and Cultural Property Crime? Heritage and cultural property crime can be defined as any offence involving damage or loss to the historic environment, including all offences involving cultural property. Alongside a local policing approach, coordinated by police Safer Neighbourhood Teams, chief police officers are now working directly with Government departments, partner law enforcement agencies and heritage sector professionals to tackle the longer term causes and effects. In this Heritage and Cultural Property Crime National Policing Strategic Assessment, the ACPO led Heritage and Cultural Property Crime Working Group (H&CPCWG) combine a wealth of expertise from members to highlight threats and opportunities to reduce the impact of crime to the historic environment and cultural property. Why be concerned? Amongst a number of other socio-economic and demographic factors, market forces drive acquisitive crime - national crime statistics bear this out. Fluctuations in exchange rates or global commodity prices can, for example, very quickly switch demand for lead, often from historic buildings, to demand for platinum from catalytic converters. Criminals intent on converting metal into cash do not see the damage, loss or heartache they cause to communities, they simply see a commodity that will provide a tax free income or their next drug fix. These thefts are not limited to metal from church roofs or listed buildings; coping stones, floor tiles, slate, intrinsically valuable artefacts and items of intricate metalwork from war memorials are all equally valuable to those operating in the moral vacuum of what we now know as heritage and cultural property crime. In addition to commodity price fluctuation, it is known that anniversaries of significant events in history drive demand for heritage assets. As we approach the centenary of the First World War, law enforcement and heritage sector professionals acknowledge the increasingly likely risk of the theft of memorabilia from museums and battlefields. The vast majority of crimes committed against the historic environment are not intricately planned offences committed by organised criminal gangs - they are committed by individuals or small groups following the path of least resistance to easy cash. A clear example of this can be seen in the theft of Henry Moore's 'Sundial' sculpture from the Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. In July 2012, it is doubtful that thieves realised the shiny garden ornament they were stealing from a house adjacent to a country lane was a nationally significant work of art worth $500,000 when they later sold it to a Cambridgeshire scrap metal dealer for $46.50. As of 1 October this year, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 will make offences of this nature less appealing to offenders, who are now unable to sell scrap metal for cash; however, police and other law enforcement professionals must not be complacent in failing to identify new markets available through technological advances in online dealing. The historic environment and cultural property is vulnerable because assets are often located in isolated, sometimes rural localities or are displayed for the public to enjoy. Police officers cannot patrol every neighbourhood for every hour of every day. The delivery of intelligent and efficient law enforcement activity in financially challenging times must, therefore, include a focus on 'Collective efficacy'; law enforcement professionals working with local people and partner agencies to protect heritage assets from theft and damage to the historic environment. In addition to crimes against the historic environment, offenders are also increasingly targeting cultural property, national treasures and works of art displayed in museums, libraries, archives and private collections. A recent and well publicised example of this type of offence is provided by Operation Shrewd, a national inquiry into the theft of rhino horn, jade and Chinese artefacts (predominantly from the early Ming and Qing Dynasties) from provincial museums and private collections in the UK and Europe. As a result of this investigation, it is now known that organised criminal groups have targeted museums providing access to antiquities and artefacts valued at several million pounds. Gone are the days when organised criminal gangs focused on criminal activity such as robbing banks and safety deposit boxes, or importing drugs to further their criminal enterprise. These criminals have now accessed a rich vein of significantly higher return, and with much lower associated risk, directing offences against 'softer' targets to feed the demand from Far Eastern and South East Asian markets for rhino horn and cultural property. Details: London: Association of Chief Police Officers, 2013. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 23, 2016 at: http://www.museumsassociation.org/download?id=1038797 Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.museumsassociation.org/download?id=1038797 Shelf Number: 138791 Keywords: AntiquitiesArt TheftCultural PropertyHeritage CrimeMetal TheftOrganized CrimeProperty TheftScrap Metal |
Author: Ashby, Matthew Title: Using Crime Science for Understanding and Preventing Theft of Metal from the British Railway Networks Summary: Metal theft has emerged as a substantial crime problem, causing widespread disruption and damage in addition to the loss of metal itself, but has been the subject of little research. This thesis uses the paradigm of crime science to analyse the problem, focusing on thefts from the railway network in Great Britain. Two theoretical concepts are used: crime scripts and the routine-activities approach. Police-recorded crime and intelligence data are used to develop a crime script, which in turn is used to identify features of the problem a) analysis of which would potentially be useful to practitioners seeking to understand and prevent metal theft, and b) for which sufficient data are available to make analysis practical. Three such features are then analysed in more detail. First, spatial and temporal distributions of metal theft are analysed. Metal theft appears to differ from other types of acquisitive crime in ways potentially useful for prevention, for example in clustering outside (but close to) cities, and in exhibiting significant repeat victimisation over a longer period than found for other crimes. Second, the potential crime-prevention value of the market-reduction approach is analysed by testing for clusters of thefts close to the locations of scrap-metal dealers. Scrap-yard locations are found to be a significant predictor of local thefts, controlling for metal availability, area accessibility, and density of population and industry. Third, the involvement of organised crime groups (OCGs) in metal theft is tested. Due to the difficulty of defining and measuring organised crime, multiple approaches are used: all show OCG involvement to be rarer than official estimates previously suggested. The implications of these findings for practitioners are discussed. The thesis also considers the relevance of the results for the use of crime science and the analysis of OCGs Details: London: University College London, UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 2016. 275p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1507833/1/thesis_final_screen.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1507833/1/thesis_final_screen.pdf Shelf Number: 147914 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime ScienceMetal TheftProperty CrimeProperty TheftRailroadsScrap Metal |
Author: Kirchmaier, Tom Title: Prices, Policing and Policy: The Dynamics of Crime Booms and Busts Summary: In many historical episodes, the extent of criminal activity has displayed booms and busts. One very clear example is the case of metal crime, where in the face of big increases in value driven by world commodity prices, the incidence of metal thefts in the UK (and elsewhere) rose very sharply in the 2000s. Early in the current decade, they fell sharply again. This paper studies the roles of prices, policing and policy in explaining these crime dynamics. The empirical analysis shows sizeable and significant metal crime-price elasticities, in line with the idea that changing economic returns do shape crime. However, the rapid upward and downward trends are not only due to price changes. Their temporal evolution is also explained by changes in policing and policy. On the former, a difference-in-differences approach is used to document an important role of policing as a consequence of an anti-metal crime operation introduced in 2012. On the latter, the introduction of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 is exploited to study the impact of policy on the economic activity of scrap metal dealers in England and Wales. Results from our difference-in-differences specification suggest that the tougher regulatory system introduced by the policy hindered the economic activity of pre-existing dealers, reflecting the reduced market size for potential metal criminals to sell what they have stolen. Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=3149413 Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=3149413 Shelf Number: 150107 Keywords: Metal TheftProperty TheftScrap Metal TheftStealing |
Author: New Jersey. Commission of Investigation Title: Corrupt Commerce: Heroin, Thievery and the Underground Trade in Stolen Goods Summary: In two years, he burned through an $800,000 inheritance, lost his home and allowed his family business to die. Desperate and broke, he found a lucrative new way to fund the heroin addiction that consumed his fortune and his life: stolen metal. He tore wire and copper pipe from buildings. He heaved manhole covers from the streets, ripped storm drains from parking lots, pulled heavy metal pins from construction barriers. Then, in an old sedan weighed down nearly to the pavement, he routinely took his haul to a booming scrap yard linked to organized crime in Hillsborough, Somerset County. There, the owner and employees readily bought the stolen metal for cash, no questions asked, not a word to the police. A hundred miles to the south, a young woman hit upon her own way to remedy the dopesickness that dictated her daily rhythms. She led a crew that shoplifted more than $100,000 in goods from major retail chains, then returned the items for gifts cards in the amount of the stolen merchandise. She sold those cards for 50 cents on the dollar to willing businesses across South Jersey. Again, no questions asked, no alert about suspicious behavior. The State Commission of Investigation has found that these circumstances are emblematic of a corrupt and enduring commerce in New Jersey's lightly regulated and often lawless world of scrap yards, pawn shops, cash-for-gold outlets and secondhand goods operations. Driven largely by the heroin and opioid epidemic, this shadowy underground economy is being exploited for profit across the state by convicted felons and elements of organized crime. In business after business, Commission investigators identified owners and employees with extensive criminal histories, including convictions for fraud, burglary, receiving stolen property, assault, firearms violations, narcotics distribution and racketeering. The SCI found evidence of drug-dealing directly from the counter at one shop, the illegal sale of handguns at another and links to a mob-related loansharking scheme at a third. At those locations and others, investigators found that owners and employees regularly accepted stolen goods, from jewelry to power tools, and in some cases directed customers to steal in-demand items likely to maximize profits upon resale. Collectively, the Commission estimates, the businesses have bought and sold tens of millions of dollars in stolen goods in recent years. This thriving marketplace, operating with little oversight or accountability, incentivizes theft and promotes destructive acts against both public and private infrastructure, putting residents in jeopardy. The widespread plundering of copper wiring and heavy-duty backup batteries from cell phone towers undermines cellular service during power outages. The theft of wire that transmits signals along train tracks delays commuters, requires costly repairs and strains an already overtaxed transit system. The removal of electricity-conducting wire from utility substations compromises the power grid. Little is off limits. Scrap hunters have ripped the risers from bleachers at schools, made off with aluminum street lamps from highways and stolen bronze vases from graves. The enormous costs of the illicit bargain between thieves and unscrupulous owners are borne by all New Jerseyans: the ratepayers who see higher bills for cell service and electricity; the consumers who pay more for goods at retail stores; the taxpayers ultimately responsible for replacing infrastructure that has vanished in the night. By providing an easy route for drug addicts and opportunists to cash in on stolen metal and merchandise, these enterprises have helped spawn an endless cycle of theft, one that law enforcement cannot keep pace with, much less end, without a muscular response from the State. The Commission carried out this investigation in keeping with its 50-year-old statutory mandate to identify and expose corruption, to highlight government laxity and gaps in oversight, to determine the effectiveness of New Jersey's laws and to inform the Governor, the Legislature, the Attorney General and the public about the influence and intrusion of organized crime. In particular, the findings set forth in this report build upon groundbreaking investigative work dating back nearly a decade when the SCI became one of the first agencies of government to identify the burgeoning opioid and heroin epidemic. Over the course of this inquiry, SCI investigators issued scores of subpoenas, analyzed banking records and conducted more than 100 interviews with law enforcement officers, metal recyclers, state and municipal officials, representatives of the telecommunications and retail industries, and the owners and employees of outfits engaged in suspect or illegal behavior. Just as significantly, the SCI interviewed those with the clearest view of interactions with these businesses: the addicts and former addicts who carried out thefts for drug money. SCI agents also conducted surveillance at suspect establishments and, in cooperation with police departments and confidential sources, participated in sting operations at scrap yards and secondhand goods stores. In those cases, items purchased by the Commission or lawfully obtained from utilities, phone companies and retail stores were sold to owners or employees with the fictive understanding the items had been stolen. The inquiry found that state and municipal regulations governing these businesses are scattershot, inadequate and unevenly enforced. The State licenses traditional pawn shops, which provide collateral-based loans, while municipalities license cash-for-gold shops, secondhand goods stores and scrap yards. Ordinances vary widely in strength and effectiveness from municipality to municipality. Laws governing some aspects of the businesses have proven to be window dressing, too minimal in scope and so erratically enforced they have failed to deter the prodigious flow of stolen goods. Equally troubling, SCI investigators found that many owners regularly flout the few rules that apply to them with little or no consequence. In some towns, the Commission found, law enforcement officials were unaware their governing bodies had passed ordinances giving police the means to crack down on the businesses - a breakdown in communication and coordination that has sapped accountability. The Commission is mindful that pawn outlets, secondhand goods stores and scrap metal recyclers contribute to the tax base in their communities and provide services helpful to the public. Local scrap yards are building blocks in the international commerce of recycled metal. In addition, not all owners and employees operate flagrantly outside the bounds of decency and the law. But in the absence of meaningful oversight, far too many of these operations have been subverted by criminal activity. The Commission recommends the State take the lead in licensing and regulating these industries. As the Legislature in recent decades has moved to root out organized crime from New Jersey's trash-hauling companies and casinos, so, too, should the State ban mob associates and those with extensive criminal records from trades that remain obvious and attractive pathways for the disposal of stolen property. Further, the Commission recommends requiring owners and employees to record all transactions in an online database accessible by law enforcement. Two such databases are already in use in neighboring states and in a minority of New Jersey municipalities, allowing investigators to more efficiently track sales, identify trends, find stolen merchandise and hold dishonest owners and employees accountable. Details: Trenton: The Commission, 2018. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2018 at: https://www.nj.gov/sci/pdf/Stolen%20Goods%20Report%20Final.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.nj.gov/sci/pdf/Stolen%20Goods%20Report%20Final.pdf Shelf Number: 150626 Keywords: Illegal TradeMetal TheftNarcoticsOpioid CrisisOrganized CrimeScrap Metal TheftStolen GoodsStolen PropertyTrafficking in NarcoticsUnderground Economy |
Author: Environment Agency (United Kingdom) Title: Cracking Down on Waste Crime: Waste Crime Report 2011-2012 Summary: Serious waste crime is big business. The Environment Agency has made some real changes to how we tackle waste crime over the last few years. While there are still challenges ahead, the results of our work are starting to show. Being intelligence-led remains at the heart of our work to tackle serious and organised environmental crime, and to prevent the harm it can bring. In 2011-2012 we stopped 759 illegal waste sites, either by closing them down or helping them to move into legal compliance and get the right permit or exemption to operate. The number of successful prosecutions against illegal waste activity also rose to 335 last year. This included closing one of the highest risk illegal waste sites in south-east England, where a multiple offender received four years in prison for money laundering and waste offences. We believe that the custodial sentence imposed, and the fact he must now hand over nearly L1 million of profits he made from his illegal waste business, will send a strong message to illegal operators about the consequences of their crimes. December saw a week of dedicated action against metal theft. We supported the British Transport Police in targeting permitted waste sites to learn more about how and where stolen metal moves following its theft. We have also updated our procedures for granting and reviewing environmental permits so any permitted site handling stolen metal will be at risk of losing its permit. There is still a lot to do though. For every eight permitted sites, there is one illegal one. We are finding sites almost as fast as we stop them. Our new taskforce to tackle illegal waste sites, which we launched in December 2011, will help us break this cycle. We want to make sure more illegal waste sites are shut down quickly. But we can't do it on our own; many people have a role to play in helping tackle waste crime. We want to send a clear message to businesses, local authorities and householders: take responsibility for your waste and make sure that it doesn't end up in the hands of illegal operators. Rt Hon Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury Chairman Details: Bristol, UK: Environment Agency, 2012. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 20, 2019 at: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140329083717/http://cdn.environment-agency.gov.uk/geho0712bwug-e-e.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140329083717/http://cdn.environment-agency.gov.uk/geho0712bwug-e-e.pdf Shelf Number: 154278 Keywords: Environmental CrimeIllegal Waste SitesMetal TheftOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized Environmental CrimeWaste Crime |