MAKING
THENEWS
wiredInUSA - December 2011
9
The Ottawa Citizen reports that people
who sell high value metals, such as
copper, will soon have their personal
information collected and shared with
police under new legislation proposed
by the BC government, in an attempt to
deter copper theft by making it harder to
sell and purchase the metals.
“Metal theft has widespread conse-
quences because it damages property
and puts public safety at risk when such
things as telephone wires are stripped
and 911 services are interrupted,”
Solicitor General Shirley Bond explained.
“In one municipality, more than $3
million damage caused by metal theft
was recorded in a single year.
“We recognize provincial legislation
alone will not solve the entire problem,”
she continued. “Our proposed legislation
is just the first step. We will complement
it with other strategies, including
encouraging the federal government
to develop tougher legislation regarding
the impact of metal theft on critical
infrastructure.”
The proposed legislation will force scrap
metal yards to record details about
people who sell high value metal,
including names, addresses, telephone
numbers and dates of birth. The
information will be shared daily with
police using privacy codes. Police
must still present a court order to receive
specific personal details, the bill states.
The proposed law is the first of its kind in
Canada, and scrap dealers will not be
allowed to buy metal from people who
refuse to provide personal information.
Copper theft bill for BC
