Stealing Metal Could Mean More than Jail Time

Stealing metal could cost criminals a lot more than jail time under proposed legislation filed Tuesday in the State Senate. 

State Senator Seth Harp said across the country drug users are turning to stealing metal instead of jewelry to help support their habit. Because, he says, they see metal as hard to track. 

Harp is proposing a registry for known metal thieves that would help businesses identify the criminals.

Taking it one step further, Harp also wants to make the penalties tougher for metal theft. 

"We are going to take and seize their automobiles and seize their tools."

Police around Georgia say those most susceptible to metal theft should put markings on their metal. That, they say, would help police identify the stolen scrap.

Macon police nab suspected metal thieves

Macon police say they've arrested three people suspected of stealing aluminum.

Last weekend, the trio allegedly stole two dozen 2,000 pound molds worth $15,000. Police say information from a previous, similar theft helped them nab the suspects before the metal was melted down.

Officials say thieves often steal from construction sites, where the metal is easily accessible, according to a report appearing on Macon.com.

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Cemetery Metal Thefts

Police may have caught the man who's been stealing from cemeteries all over Middle Georgia. James Murphy was arrested after he admitted taking over one hundred vases from a Baldwin County cemetery. Police have recovered some of the pieces. Murphy says he planned on selling the items for scrap.

Over the last two weeks hundreds of bronze plaques and vases have been stolen from cemeteries in five Middle Georgia counties. One small cemetery in Macon lost fifty plaques, used to mark the graves of soldiers. The plaques are valued at 37-thousand dollars. Another cemetery lost nearly three-hundred vases.

George Meadows is with the Bibb county Sheriff's office. He says all types of recyclable metals are being stolen right now, but this is the worst he's seen.

"To stoop to this point of vandalizing grave sites. Stealing from war veteran's is about as low as you can get."

In the last few months police all across the nation and in Canada have reported a rash of metal thefts in cemeteries. Much of the metal is shipped overseas, where a boom in construction has fueled a rise in prices.