State legislators are working to crack down on scrap metal theft in Washington State, which should be welcome news for neighbors in Georgetown, who say they’re plagued by unscrupulous scrap metal thieves who’ve pilfered everything from license plates to the address numbers from houses in the neighborhood over the last few months.
Rep. Roger Goodman (D-45) dropped a bill Tuesday that would create a task force—made up of scrap metal recycling industry reps, state Department of Transportation, law enforcement, and local officials—to create purchasing restrictions and regulations on scrap metal, as well as a “no-buy list” for scrap metal recyclers.
We have a call out to Goodman to find out more about how the metal theft problem came to his attention.
Metal theft has also become a big problem nationwide, with thieves stealing from construction sites, homes, and even light poles and power stations. Georgetown residents say thieves have been wheeling garbage bins through the neighborhood, stealing metal scraps as they go, and selling them at nearby recycling centers. In August, thieves also cut a number of copper grounding wires from light poles in north Seattle.
