ISRI steps up scrap theft fight

United States – ScrapTheftAlert.com, launched in 2008 by the US Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) to fight metals theft, has so far helped to recover US$ 1.3 million (Euro 1 million) of property and yielded more than 235 arrests. These figures were presented last week during the organisation’s annual convention in Las Vegas. According to ISRI’s president Robin Wiener, ScrapTheftAlert.com is ‘a proven tool’ in helping law enforcement officials to combat metals theft. She announced a major re-design of the online tracking system used to report stolen materials; this allows the police and also security personnel to post alerts that are sent to users within a 100-mile or 160-kilometre radius of the theft.

The upgraded ScrapTheftAlert.com tool is described as ‘a more robust alert system’ that will further strengthen the co-operation between police and recyclers.
The website is part of a comprehensive approach by the US recycling industry to address the problem of metals theft. Earlier this year, ISRI announced the creation of the Law Enforcement

Advisory Council, formed by police officers, prosecutors and security people. Furthermore, the recyclers’ body has hired a retired US Secret Service agent.

For more information, visit: www.isri.org