Position On Recyclable Materials Theft
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Position
It is the position of the Hummelstein Iron & Metal, Inc. (HIM) that, with
respect to the purchase, processing, or sale of recyclable materials:
The knowing or intentional purchase, processing, or sale of materials that have been stolen cannot and must not be tolerated and should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law;
In cooperation with appropriate authorities and affected parties, HIM, the entire recycling industry, law enforcement and the affected community, should take positive steps to reduce the unintentional purchase, processing, or sale of stolen materials.
Background
The unintentional purchase, processing, or sale of stolen materials has, for
many years, been a risk present in secondary materials recycling. The problem
arises not from any act of omission by the individual members of the recycling
industry, but instead, from the types of materials that it handles. In order to
recycle the vast quantities of materials that are required by the industries
that manufacture new products from secondary materials, and to assure that
secondary materials do not end up in landfills or litter the landscape, members
of the recycling industry purchase, process, and sell hundreds of thousands of
tons of commodities every day. These commodities consist of millions of separate
items that must be handled quickly, efficiently, and in large volumes.
Identification of suspect items is made difficult because, materials are
purchased not as specific items, but rather by weight. From time to time, it is
possible that stolen property will find its way into the millions of items that
make up the commodities legitimately handled each day by the recycling industry.
During the course of daily operations, each member of the industry needs to be aware of the potential for inadvertent or unintentional purchase of stolen materials. The theft of recyclable materials is a community problem—not just a recycling industry problem—extending well beyond the boundaries of HIM or the thousands other recycling facilities across the country.
Hummelstein Iron & Metal, Inc. remains committed to the following principals:
 | Continue to be involved in Jonesboro/Northeast Arkansas; |
| Be aware of the types of materials frequently stolen; |
| Continue to train our employees to be aware of the types of materials typically stolen and how to assist law enforcement in the apprehension of those involved; |
| Communicate with and inform community leaders, law enforcement officials and their agencies, and members of the community most often affected by these thefts about the scrap recycling industry, its operations, and its requirements; |
| Work cooperatively with community leaders, law enforcement officials and agencies, and members of the community in the development of programs designed to reduce the theft of recyclable materials. |
| Follow Arkansas state law regarding record keeping on individuals who sell recyclables to us |
| Actively participate in the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industry’s (ISRI) Theft Alert System by submitting known thefts and forwarding reports to local law enforcement agencies. |
Because this is an issue requiring the cooperative efforts of community leaders, law enforcement officials and their agencies, and members of the community who have been or could be victimized by the theft of recyclable materials, all affected parties are urged to:
| Take steps within their own organizations to adopt improved security measures to reduce the opportunity for theft of recyclable materials and advise the recycling industry in their community when such thefts do occur; |
| Work in cooperation with members of the recycling industry to resolve the problems caused by the thefts of recyclable materials in their community; |
| Understand and appreciate the unique nature and requirements of the secondary materials recycling industry and its operations; |
| Vigorously apprehend and prosecute those responsible for thefts. |
It is only through the active cooperation of the
entire community that the problems presented by the theft of recyclable
materials can be addressed successfully.
The effective ways to aid in the apprehension and prosecution of criminals
include:
| Use of the existing ISRI THEFT ALERT system that quickly notifies scrap processors about thefts and provides two-way communication between law enforcement and scrap processors; |
| Meetings between representatives of the scrap industry with community leaders, law enforcement officials and their agencies, and members of the community most often affected by the theft of recyclable materials to discuss the matter and to explore practical solutions that will serve the needs of all concerned; |
| Improved security (including tighter inventory control) and reporting systems by business or industries most vulnerable to thefts of recyclables. |
Guidelines for reporting thefts of recyclable materials:
All submissions for ISRI's Theft Alert program must be reported to law enforcement. ISRI will not issue a Theft Alert for an incident that has not been reported.
Please be thorough. Include (estimated) date and time of theft, location of theft, and a detailed description of the materials, including serial numbers and measurements if possible. Include pictures if possible. Please include at least the investigating jurisdiction, if not the name and phone number of the investigating officer.* It might be helpful first to read previous alerts to see what information is included. They can be found at www.isri.org/theftalert .
Please send the information in via e-mail to Sam Hummelstein swh@him.com or fax 501-325-0028 or to Chuck Carr at ISRI chuckcarr@isri.org Vox: 202/662-8527 Fax: 202/626-0927
* Alerts will include such information but will
encourage readers to contact local law enforcement agencies.
Crime prevention works. It is cheaper, safer, and healthier for communities to prevent crime than to treat its victims, deal with its perpetrators, and lose civic health and productivity. Below is a link to more information from the National Crime Prevention Council. http://www.ncpc.org/law
ISRI logo used with permission.
