Primary navigation
15660 N Dallas Parkway #800, Dallas, TX 75248
Toll-Free: (800) 311-2656
Phone: (972) 361-0900
Fax: (972) 361-0901
ky3.com
New system for tracking scrap metal thefts in Springfield, MO
Missing woman's credit card buy being investigated
July 7, 2011
SPRINGFIELD, Mo – Pawn shops have used it for years now all scrap metal yards are getting on-board.
It's an online system to track who is selling what in order for authorities to check if they're doing it legally.
Last October Springfield Police assigned an officer to this beat because stealing metal is such a big problem. Now, it will be even easier for police to find out who the thieves are.
A-1 Custom Muffler and Brake was hit just a few weeks ago, but police arrested the thieves in the act.
Starting now, all Springfield metal companies are taking part in a web-based program called "online leads." So when someone goes in to sell scrap metal, the business tracks everything about the exchange online.
Then, police have access to that and can see patterns of repeat sellers and look for any suspicious behavior. "If they bring in a large item like an air conditioner that has a serial number on it, then we'll put it into the tracking system. If they just bring in pieces of scrap metal, then we'll probably not track it. We'll also keep close tabs on people who show up in the system repeatedly," said Matt Brown with the Springfield Police Department.
The best way to make sure you don't become a victim, or at least be able to locate your stuff is to mark it with some kind of identifying mark that you can give to police if it's stolen.