Reducing Scrap Metal Theft

Scrap drop boxes are like a beacon light to potential thieves, particularly with the higher prices currently for many types of metal scrap. Some companies are facing scrap theft by a more unfortunate source – their employees! High value scrap metal disappears before it ever reaches the drop box container. Reducing the likelihood of metal theft is an essential part of scrap management in today’s world, so that’s why we’ve made it part of our Scrap Management Plan.

Reducing employee theft of scrap
If you have high-value scrap metals, you have a tempting environment for employee theft. Some will rationalize that “it’s only scrap”, but that scrap has value…taking it is stealing. Employee pilferage is a delicate subject of course. Our scrap metal professional will work with your company on proven methods of reducing employee theft of scrap. Components include making your employees aware that you are watching, securing the drop box, and location of collection points.

Reducing theft from drop boxes
Unfortunately the obvious solutions don’t work well. Lids are for environmental protection rather than theft prevention. The most effective way to prevent theft from drop boxes is to secure the drop box area. Examples include four walls and a locked gate, fencing, video surveillance, and other means of limiting access or increasing the risk to the thief. Calbag experts have seen hundreds of drop box locations and can recommend a good solution for your facility.

Calbag Metals works to prevent the purchase of stolen scrap
Calbag Metals is very concerned about inadvertently buying scrap metal that has been stolen. Here are some of the steps we take:

• We don’t buy from known metal thieves
• Security cameras and very prominent signs at our dock area help deter someone from even trying to sell us stolen scrap
• Calbag Metals has taken a leadership position in working with industry, government, and law enforcement to prevent the purchase of stolen scrap. We actively support law enforcement in making arrests for stealing scrap, work with the district attorneys, and make our staff available in court to testify against thieves caught trying to sell stolen scrap. We want convictions and do everything we can to help the DA get them.
• Calbag Metals is active on the state and local level to increase penalties for metal theft.

Reducing scrap metal theft requires cooperation of many stakeholders united in a common purpose. We welcome the advice of our customers on how we can be more even effective in reducing scrap metal theft.