The January 2008 National Crime Prevention Council's online newsletter Catalyst contains an article called"Scrapping the Thieves." This article describes preventative techniques for scrap metal dealers.
While some copper/metal theft likely has ties to organized crime, there is consensus that most of the theft is fueled by drug addiction and drug addicts looking for quick cash.
That said, there are reasons to be concerned beyond the obvious general concern of rise in crime. Blogger Shelley Smith posts "Copper and Metal Thefts Could Weaken Homeland and Domestic Security Infrastructures," on January 17, 2008 in her blog In Homeland Security.
Drug addicts and other thieves are disrupting power services, agriculture, recreational events, home building, transportation services - a whole slew of important systems - and they cannot be stopped by our traditional criminal justice approach. Just like the new terrorists - the culprits are individuals who are only connected by the reasons and ways they commit their crimes. Suicide bombers can be individuals without affiliations to a hierarchal group - they can be individuals who want to join in a cause. For the majority of metal thieves - their reasons are a need for drugs and the existence of places to sell metal to feed their fix.
This is not to suggest that metal thieves and terrorists can be stopped in the same ways. What is clear is that crime (like terrorism) can be affected by global changes - the rising demand for metals from China, India, and other growing economies. Individual crimes (like terrorism) can become global problems and cannot be easily stopped by investigating and arresting the perpetrators. We live in changing times and need to change the way we look at fighting crimes and fighting wars.
The right answers will be new.
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