Proposal would strengthen penalties on metal scavengers
Written by Patrick Timmis | | ptimmis@toledofreepress.comDistrict 4 Councilwoman Paula Hicks-Hudson is working on a proposal to City Council to beef up penalties for scavengers of metal and antiques from local houses.
The proposed legislation could also target junk-collectors who pick up scrap metal from the curbside, a practice Hicks-Hudson said is illegal.
“I think it should be enforced,” she said.
The city has mandated that anyone selling metal or items taken from a historic building present ID, which Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said improved but did not solve the issue.
“We still have a problem with people going into houses — not just vacant houses but houses that are for sale — people going in the basement and stripping out the copper,” he said.
Hicks-Hudson said current anti-scavenging legislation is too weak and she hopes to have the new proposal drafted by the end of the summer. Possible points would include increased penalties for scavenging and more stringent regulations for pawn and antique shops’ process of confirming potential sellers’ right to property.
“[Looters] are not salvaging [demolition sites], they are ripping off our houses,” said Fanny Effler, an attorney who worked with Hicks-Hudson on the proposal.
Jane Cairl, who owns the antique store Architectural Artifacts Downtown, said thieves have brought antiques stolen from empty houses to her store several times, driven by tough economic times to break the law for a few dollars. For thieves, selling stripped goods can be a quick and profitable way to do that. Some doorknobs at Architectural Artifacts, for instance, are resold for more than $180.
“We’ve put people in jail,” Cairl said. “If I feel that it’s something weird, I don’t buy it.”
Navarre said empty-home break-ins are recorded as “breaking and entering” in crime reports, but much of the stolen metal is untraceable.
“It’s a non-violent crime, so police don’t want to spend a lot of time tracking it,” Cairl said.
Tags: City of Toledo, Government, Patrick Timmis, Paula Hicks-Hudson
“It’s a non-violent crime, so police don’t want to spend a lot of time tracking it,” Cairl said.
Interesting! Now the TPD chooses the crimes they solve! A crime is a crime, Mr. Navarre! Investigate and get rid of those FORM LETTERS that tell victims of “non-violent” crimes that “NO INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED”. They serve NO PURPOSE other than to tell the victims that they are just S.O.L. and drive the wedge between the public and TPD even deeper!
Unsolved and un-investigated non-violent crimes cause property values to decrease and property insurance to increase! Expenses the average citizen cannot afford!
TPD uses the EXCUSE that they don’t have enough money or manpower to investigate every non-violent crime. When they do show up and write a crime report, it’s for “statistical purposes” only and the victim is told to turn the matter over to the insurance company! I KNOW OF WHAT I SPEAK, being a FOUR TIME VICTIM of non-violent crime in Toledo!
It’s gotten to the point where victims of “non-violent crimes” in my neighborhood don’t even bother calling TPD anymore!
SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS HERE IN TOLEDO!
This comment was posted on June 13th, 2011 at 11:16 amNew Yawk Demonrat spawns, are now stealing FENCES, for scrap !?
OweBaMao Bin Lying-ville Great Depression Part II,soup kitchens are just days away….
This comment was posted on June 13th, 2011 at 12:40 pm