DPD’s metal theft squad monitors activities of Oak Cliff and South Dallas scrap yards

Roll 'em, roll 'em, roll 'em (strands of copper wire, that is)

by John P. Meyer

Here's another side to the local recycling story relating to an unhappy side effect of the value of reusable metals.

Here's a DMN piece about a special unit of the Dallas Police Department tasked with enforcing city regulations relating to "metal offenses." And I don't mean the loud music kind.

By September of 2006, at the time this Dallas City Hall committee briefing was written (WARNING: link opens 420K .pdf document), the metal theft unit had recovered over $3 million in stolen property. Most of the scrap yards in the city are centralized around South Dallas and Oak Cliff.

As detailed in the briefing (pg. 4), the DPD Metal Unit ("Are you a REAL detective?" "That's right, little girl, I'm a member of the DPD Metal Unit! Now, stand back while I take charge of this pilfered condenser coil.") is tasked with inspecting scrap yards every three days and alerting yard personnel to known stolen property. Basically, they become chummy with scrap yard owners and spend the rest of their time monitoring repeat offenders.

It seems that most of the thefts are carried out by those with substance abuse problems, and thus scrap purchasing folk are prohibited from buying certain items from anyone who appears intoxicated. No word on what tests they're using to make this determination.