Scrap metal is a hot item for drug addicts. The state Police Chief’s Association says reports of stolen scrap metal are becoming more frequent because selling the stolen goods provides drug addicts with income for purchasing more narcotics. Executive Director Sheldon Lineback says the Association is working with lawmakers to tackle the growing trend by developing legislation that would require second-hand dealers to obtain information from individual scrap metal sellers and enter their into a statewide tracking system. He says the system would be a statewide investigative tool for law enforcement to track down the sales of stolen property. Lineback says the thefts were even more frequent just after the ice storms when businesses and homes were abandoned because of bad weather and related power outages.
