Recycling Companies Doing Their Part

Modesta, CA - Recycling companies throughout Stanislaus County have been working hard to decrease metal thefts in the community since new city and county ordinances were enacted.

The City of Modesto adopted an ordinance in January 2008, requiring junk dealers and recyclers to document ownership of items and property they receive from customers for recycling.  Stanislaus County adopted a similar ordinance last year.  Both ordinances were in response to a dramatic increase in the theft of metals such as copper.   Thieves bring metals they have stolen from air conditioning units, park lights and construction sites to local recyclers, who in many cases, pay cash for the metal.  The thefts have caused thousands of dollars in damage and losses.

Modesto Police and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s detectives have been working together to combat metal thefts in our community.  Last week, detectives worked undercover and went to ten different junk and recycling businesses throughout Stanislaus County to see if the businesses were complying with the new ordinances.  The businesses could be issued citations for failure to comply, but according to Modesto Police Detective Mike Freudenthal enforcement was not the purpose of the operation.  “We have worked closely with these businesses since the beginning of the year when the laws came into effect,” said Detective Freudenthal.  “This operation was to see if their new procedures are working, and it looks like they are.”

According to Freudenthal, only two of the ten junk and recycling businesses they visited failed to comply with the new procedures aimed at making it hard for thieves to get money for their stolen metals.  An undercover detective brought over twenty pounds of copper wire to the businesses with no identification and no way to prove he was the rightful owner.  The businesses are not only required to fully document that information, but are also required to provide the documentation to law enforcement.  “We were very pleased to see that the recyclers wouldn’t even let the undercover detective start the process,” said Freudenthal.  “As soon as they saw he didn’t have ID or proof of ownership, they sent him walking.”

Of the two recyclers that were willing to purchase the copper from the undercover detective, Freudenthal said they will face fines and penalties in the future.  “Last week’s operations were simply to see how the process is working,” said Freudenthal.  “But we have operations planned in the future where we will be issuing citations.”  Freudenthal stressed that the ordinance is not aimed at generating arrests.  “Arrests and citations for the businesses are not our goal,” he said.  “Our goal is to make it difficult for the thieves to make money off their crimes.  They are the ones we want to go after, but if there are one or two recycling businesses who are paying for stolen metals, then the thieves will continue their work.”

The new procedures, which require the recycling business to take a photograph of the person selling the material, have been successful in helping detectives make several arrests in theft cases.  One case in particular involved the theft of an aluminum boat.  The thief showed up to a local recycler who took his picture and identification information.  Detectives used the documentation to locate the suspect and arrest him for the theft.  The procedures also guard against the recycling of other property and metals.  According to Freudenthal, copper theft is beginning to decline but as other metals, like steel and iron, become more expensive, detectives are seeing thefts increase in other areas.  “We are seeing a lot of tractor parts, agriculture equipment and fuel tanks show up in theft reports now as those metals increase in value,” said Freudenthal.  “We will investigate these thefts just the same as copper thefts.”

Detective Freudenthal spent the day returning to the ten junk and recycling businesses to talk to them about what he found during last week’s operation.  “I have been very impressed with the level of cooperation the junk dealers and recyclers have shown throughout this process,” said Fuedenthal.  He said, “These ordinances can have an effect on burglaries and thefts in our community if we all work together.  It creates more work for the businesses, but I think they know what a positive effect their efforts are going to have on our community.”

For information about this news release contact Modesto Police Spokesperson Sergeant Craig Gundlach at (209) 652-3184.