INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commission today moved forward consideration of an ordinance increasing regulation of the metal recycling industry in Indian River County, but only after instructing County Attorney Alan Polackwich to modify the ordinance before it comes up for a formal public hearing in October.
Sherriff Daryl Loar and his attorney Jim Harpring spoke in favor of the ordinance, which is intended to slow down what Harpring called an epidemic of metal theft driven in part by tough economic conditions.
According to Loar and Harpring, thieves are taking manhole covers, street signs, light poles and other public property, as well stripping copper pipes and wire from empty homes and stealing air conditioners for their copper and aluminum components. Bronze grave urns are another item popular with metal bandits.
Several scrap metal dealers spoke in opposition to parts of the ordinance, especially a proposed provision that would require them to pay for frequently stolen types of metal, or large amounts of metal, with a check instead of cash and mail the check to a street address so police would have a way of finding suspected thieves.
While agreeing there is a big problem with stolen metal, the scrap dealers said the check-mailing provision would cause them great difficulties, particularly when dealing with out-of-state or out-of-county sellers.
“We want to help the sheriff’s department,” said Shannon Cook, president of Indian River Scrap Metal. “But not at the cost of ruining our business.”
Cook and other scrap dealers emphasized that they already keep extensive records gathered from all sellers, including thumbprints, driver’s license information, car tag numbers and video records of all transactions.”
“Having to mail a check is going to mess up our accounts,” Cook said. “I am fine with paying by check but we need to finish the transaction then and there and not have people coming back and saying they never got their check.”
Responding to the dealers, Harpring said he believed the businesses knew they might be receiving stolen goods and didn’t want more regulation because it would prevent them profiting on those transactions.
The commission was swayed by the scrap metals dealers to some extent, agreeing that checks should not have to be mailed.
The matter will come before the board again in October for a public hearing before any action is taken.
