Friday, March 15, 2013

Metal Thieves Beware: You've Got a Task Force After You

Posted By on Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 10:13 AM

Did you know Pima County has a Metal Watch Task Force?

Yeah, I didn't either, until I got an email from the Metro Pima Alliance urging me to show my support for proposed legislation that would toughen this state's laws against metal theft. Beyond, you know, the simple fact that theft is against the law.

The WTF (I don't know if that's what they call themselves, but I'm gonna for typing purposes) is a conglomerate of businesses and business advocate groups that's overseen by the MPA, Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Tucson (BOMA Tucson) and the local Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) chapter that hopes to fight metal theft through what it calls a three-pronged — pun intended? — approach of education, electorate and enforcement.

The email I got was in regards to the electorate prong, as a couple of bills going through the Arizona Legislature intend to better define what is and isn't considered metal theft, as well as what kind of penalties such theft would result in and a means to accurately register and track all authorized scrap metal dealers.

The bills are being spearheaded (yes, pun intended) by Gilbert State Rep. Thomas Forese (R-17). The email I got urges me to contact a State Senator, though, Gilbert-based Andy Biggs (R-12), since he's chairman of the Rules Committee.

Sounds like a good plan, all in all. One suggestion for the WTF, though: update those stats on your Web site. The information makes references to "in 2012 so far" and "last year (2011)."