Columbus City Council Introducing Scrap Metal Legislation

This week Columbus, Ohio City Councilman Andrew Ginther unveiled legislation that would require scrap-metal yards to fingerprint everyone who brings in items for sale, report all purchases to police and hold on to most metals for a week in case they're reported stolen.

"This legislation is practical and enforceable and is going to protect private and public investment in property," said Ginther, who is chairman of the council's safety committee.

At a recent public hearing, metal-theft victims said legislation is needed to rein in a market that's out of control.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman first proposed local regulations in his State of the City address last month. The ordinance will be introduced to the City Council in April.

"The stealing will only stop when the thieves have nowhere to go," said Laura Ball, a Dealers, however, said Ginther's plan goes too far. They object to fingerprinting as time-consuming and ineffective, and say metals markets are too volatile to keep inventory for seven days.

"It's very important for us to get it in, get it processed and get it out," said Josh Joseph of I.H. Schlezinger Inc., which operates Schlezinger Metals on Joyce Avenue.

The proposed ordinance also would require scrap dealers to record every seller's name, address and driver's license and license-plate numbers. Every day before noon, dealers would be required to deliver records of the previous day's transactions to Columbus police.

Dealers couldn't buy cars or car parts unless the seller provided a title for the vehicle. And they'd have to keep cars intact for 15 days.

Sgt. Richard Curry of the Columbus police property-recovery unit said identification provisions would allow police to check sellers' criminal records and identify those making repeated visits to dealers with the same types of items.

Requiring dealers to keep metals on hand would help victims get property back and allow police to make a stronger case against thieves, he said.

Dealers are willing to collect identification, and most already do, said Robert Meyer, an attorney for local businesses that are members of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, a national trade group.

They also are willing to keep records for police, he said, although they would rather supply them upon request than deliver them every day. Columbus Dispatch