Arizona lawmakers celebrated a new metal-theft bill that was signed Tuesday at the state capitol. Replacing stolen copper and metal wires has become an expensive problem for homeowners and businesses.
More than a dozen legislators and business leaders watched as Gov. Jan Brewer ceremoniously signed the Metal Theft law. It requires scrap metal dealers to register with the Public Safety department and to renew information every two years. It also penalizes dealers who knowingly purchase stolen metals.
State Rep. Tom Forese sponsored the law. He says there are two kind of scrap metal dealers, those who follow the rules and those who don’t.
“[Those] that are fly by night. They often are small enough to operate under the radar and these guys intentionally skirt the law and really profit by breaking the law,” Forese said.
The law also requires police to log metal thefts on a designated website. It also allows DPS to suspend or revoke scrap metal dealers registration.