Connors/Rumpf/Van Pelt Metal Theft Legislation Signed into Law

January 27, 2009

Contact: Jason Smith / (609) 693-6700
Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R-9), Senator Christopher J. Connors (R-9)

Legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf and Assemblyman Daniel M. Van Pelt requiring owners of scrap metal yards to maintain purchasing records for transactions involving metals was signed into law today by the Governor. The 9th District Delegation spearheaded the legislative effort to combat the rising tide of metal theft in the state, a criminal trend that has dramatically increased across the country as the result of the increasing prices of certain metals, including copper and aluminum.

“New Jersey will soon have an effective system in place to provide law enforcement with critical information needed to track down and convict metal thieves,” said Senator Connors, a member of the Senate Law and Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Connors went on to add, “This anti-crime initiative was established in cooperation with the Stafford Police Department, including Lieutenant Thomas Dellane, whose expertise proved invaluable. We would also like to thank Senator John Girgenti, whose support made this a bipartisan effort and helped to move this legislation through the Committee process quickly. Collectively, our ultimate goal was to curtail the rise of metal theft crime which continues to victimize residents and businesses at an unprecedented level across our state.”

The provisions of the Delegation’s initiative (S-1781) will take effect in seven months, allowing scrap metal businesses ample time to comply with State law. Once the law takes effect, scrap metal businesses will be required to:

verify the ID of a person delivering or selling scrap metal by examining a driver’s license or other government issued ID with a photo;
maintain records for at least five years that would include the date of a purchase, name and address of the seller and a copy of the ID provided, as well as a description of the metal; and
make information available to any law enforcement official investigating the theft of scrap metal.

These record maintenance provisions will apply to scrap metal purchases of more than 100 pounds or $50, whichever is less.

“There are several components within the new law that we believe will prove invaluable to law enforcement in their investigations,” said Assemblyman Rumpf. “One example is that police departments will be able to notify scrap metal businesses of a reported theft and provide details on what type of metal was stolen. In one reported incident, aluminum steps were stolen from a large bleacher at a local street hockey court. In these types of circumstances, especially involving unique items, police could proactively contact scrap metal yards with the intention of identifying the thief attempting to cash in the stolen goods.”

Once the new law takes effect, the operator of a scrap metal business would be required to report to law enforcement any suspicious delivery of scrap metal that may have been illegally obtained. Violations of the record maintenance or reporting of suspicious delivery provisions would be a disorderly persons’ offense. Additionally, 3rd and subsequent violations would constitute a crime of the 4th degree.

Assemblyman Van Pelt went on to say, “Once in place, we believe the record maintenance and reporting requirements established in this law will serve as a strong deterrent to this type of crime. The rate at which thieves are striking businesses and new home construction is very alarming. It should be recognized that all taxpayers become victims when public property is stolen. We need to get the word out on the street that police now have additional resources for tracking down metal thieves through their transactions in attempting to turn in stolen goods for cash.”

Link to Post:

http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/connors/connorsrumpfvan-pelt-metal-theft-legislation-signed-into-law/2163