Research Reports
Access to full-text metal theft studies
Metal Theft Claims and Questionable Claims from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011.
National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Kudla (2012)
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has released a new report tracking metal theft insurance claims from 2009 through 2011. Although some of the comparisons between metropolitan areas are a bit sketchy, since since they rely on raw numbers rather than rates (thus failing to account for population differences - rates are sometimes provided in the report), the report provides some interesting information.
From the Executive Summary:
“There were a total of 25,083 claims identified for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum submitted to ISO ClaimSearch between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. Of the 25,083 total claims, 96.1% pertained to the theft of copper. Fifty-five percent of the claims were on commercial policies, while 45% were on personal policies. When the number of metal theft claims per month and monthly average copper prices are compared, the number of claims filed is found to have a statistically significant correlation with the price of copper."
Click here for the full report.
From the Executive Summary:
“There were a total of 25,083 claims identified for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum submitted to ISO ClaimSearch between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. Of the 25,083 total claims, 96.1% pertained to the theft of copper. Fifty-five percent of the claims were on commercial policies, while 45% were on personal policies. When the number of metal theft claims per month and monthly average copper prices are compared, the number of claims filed is found to have a statistically significant correlation with the price of copper."
Click here for the full report.
Metal Theft: An Emerging Threat to Europe's Economic Security?
Quercia, Bianchi, Cavuoto, Dottori, Striuli, & Ciaravallotti (2011)
Agenfor Italia has posted on its website a "Preliminary Final Report" on metal theft in Europe. The almost 200-page report provides a rather comprehensive and comparative look at metal theft in Italy, U.K., Bulgaria, Spain, and Greece. To see the report click here and scroll down to the Pol-Primett section. The report is in English.
Theft in Price-Volatile Markets: On the Relationship between Copper Price and Copper Theft
Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, 48(3), Sidebottom, Belur, Bowers, Tompson, & Johnson (2011)
"Recently, against a backdrop of general reductions in acquisitive crime, increases have been observed in the frequency of metal theft offences. This is generally attributed to increases in metal prices in response to global demand exceeding supply. The main objective of this article was to examine the relationship between the price of copper and levels of copper theft, focusing specifically on copper cable theft from the British railway network. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between lagged increases in copper prices and copper cable theft. No support was found for rival hypotheses concerning U.K. unemployment levels and the general popularity of theft as a crime type. An ancillary aim was to explore offender modus operandi over time, which is discussed in terms of its implications for preventing copper cable theft. The authors finish with a discussion of theft of other commodities in price-volatile markets."
The link to this article is unavailable.
The link to this article is unavailable.
Theft of Scrap Metal
Center for Problem-Oriented Policing Guide No. 58 (2010)
"This guide begins by describing the problem of scrap metal theft and reviewing factors that increase its risk. It then identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local scrap-metal theft problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about these responses from evaluative research and police practice..." Click here for link to report.
Scrap Yards and Metal Theft Insurance Claims in 51 U.S. Cities
University of Indianapolis Community Research Center, K. Whiteacre & R. Howes (2009)
“The analysis supports the hypothesized relationship between presence of scrap yards and metal thefts in the 51 cities studied. The number of scrap yards per 100,000 residents showed a positive correlation with the rate of metal theft claims identified through the NICB’s ISO Claimsearch. In fact, the rate of scrap yards was the strongest predictor of metal thefts in the model, followed by burglary rates...” Click here for PDF.
"Thefts of this description will become more frequent if the thieves can always find such ready disposal of their villainous profits as the junk shops afford."
The Charleston Daily News, March 7, 1867
The Charleston Daily News, March 7, 1867
Copper Theft Baseline Survey of Utilities in the United States
Electrical Safety Foundation International (2009)
"As the number of copper thefts continued to rise, it emerged for ESFI as one of the leading issues that impacted not only the utility industry, which was forced to repair and replace damaged or stolen equipment, but also the general public who suffered property damage and power outages from these thefts. Unfortunately, while there was plenty of anecdotal evidence detailing the nature of this problem in various regions, very little information was available which described the impact utility copper theft was having nationally and which could be effectively used to examine trends in these thefts in the years to come..." Click here for link to this report.
Metal Theft Claims from January 2006 to November 2008
National Insurance Crime Bureau, Strategic & Tactical Information Department. J. Kudla (2009)
"This analysis was performed in order to determine the number of metal theft claims identifiable in NICB data, and to see if any trends or patterns could be identified. For the past three years, the value of metals such as copper, aluminum, silver, and gold have been increasing. as the prices of these metals have gone up, law enforcement and media agencies around the globe have reported an increase in the number of thefts of metals such as copper and bronze." Click here for PDF.
Metal Theft: Anatomy of a Resource Crime
L. Bennett (2008)
Abstract: "This paper was drafted in Summer 2008. It features ideas and events that could not fit into my published paper 'Assets under attack: metal theft, the built environment and the dark side of the global recycling market' Environmental Law and Management 20, 176-183 (2008). At the time I intended to develop the draft into a companion piece to that paper, but other projects distracted my attention. Accordingly this draft paper is a little dated in its focus upon pre 2008 examples, however its conjectures on the nature and motives of metal thieves may still be worthy of some attention. I therefore offer this paper to public view on an 'as is' basis. If anyone finds my comments of interest then I would be glad to receive any comments and might thus be spurred to update the treatment and examples featured in the present draft."
Click here for link to paper.
Click here for link to paper.
Assets Under Attack: Metal Theft, the Built Environment, and the Dark Side of the Global Recycling Market
Environmental Law and Management, 20:176-183. L. Bennett (2008)
“This paper explores the effects of, and apparent cause of, unprecedented levels of metal theft from the built environment (both in the UK and globally) in the period 2005 to 2008. Readily accessible and unguarded metallic elements present in the built environment, such as manhole covers, road signs, church roofs, electricity substations, rail cable, statues, memorial plaques, wiring and piping have all been pillaged, causing major distress, disruption and/or repair expense. This paper describes the relationship between soaring metal prices for copper and lead and economic demand in China and examines the contemporary legal, policy and practical responses to the metal theft phenomenon. Through this analysis the paper shows how metal theft raises some unusual (and uncomfortable) questions about what happens when recycling becomes too successful in terms of its financial attractiveness and the ease of integration of materials back into the materials markets. The paper explains that whilst neither metal theft nor attempts at its regulation are new, the scale of contemporary metal theft calls for a greater focus and co-ordination of asset defence and enforcement action at national policy level.” Click here for link to article.
Copper Burglary and Copper Prices in Rochester, NY
Center for Public Safety Initiatives, C. Posick (2008)
“Beyond seasonality we also examined the relationship between the number of copper burglaries and the price of raw copper internationally. The chart below shows that relationship. For the months covered copper process varied between $1.75 and $4.05 per pound. The trendlines indicate a moderately strong relationship between the two factors.In fact that analysis shows that the trend is for the number of copper burglaries to lag behind the price of copper. The relations is strongest with a 2 month lag (r=.64). In fact, regression analysis shows that the price of copper, lagged by 2 months, is a stronger predictor of the number of copper burglaries than the overall burglary trend...” Click here for PDF.
Report from the Survey Subcommittee of the Oregon Metal Theft Coalition
(2008)
“The survey subcommittee of The Oregon Metal Theft Coalition is impressed the number of respondents and the timeliness of responses. It is apparent that metal theft is not a minor irritant, but still an issue that is of concern to multiple industries. It is the intent of the Coalition to provide credible results and to make recommendations that may assist Oregon legislators as they review HB 3026 during the next legislative session. The Coalition also hopes the results of this report will provide a foundation for lawmakers to discuss the metal theft issue with input from those most affected by these crimes....” Click here for link to report.
“The fellow who stole a red hot stove was an amateur compared with those two Missouri junk dealers
who committed the theft of an iron bridge."
Chicago Eagle August 23, 1902
who committed the theft of an iron bridge."
Chicago Eagle August 23, 1902
Copper Thefts Threaten US Critical Infrastructure
Federal Bureau of Investigation (2008)
“The assessment highlights copper theft and its impact on US critical infrastructure.Copper thefts are occurring throughout the United States and are perpetrated by individuals and organized groups motivated by quick profits and a variety of vulnerable targets...” Click here for link to report.
Metals Theft Database Pilot Study
University of Indianapolis Community Research Center (2008)
“A new database of metal thefts in Indianapolis was started in the winter of 2008 and is maintained by the University of Indianapolis CRC in cooperation with IMPD, as part of the CRC’s Indianapolis Metal Theft Project…” Click here for PDF.
Red Gold Rush: The Copper Theft Epidemic
CSO Online S. Berinato (2007)
“Copper has never been more valuable, or more stolen. Inside the metal theft epidemic and CSOs' struggle to contain the problem…” Click here for link to article.
An Assessment of Copper Wire Thefts from Electric Utilities
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy (2007)
"Thefts of copper wire from utilities occur primarily at substation transformers, from utility poles, or from the back of service trucks. The thefts have several adverse consequences, including the obvious economic impact, service disruptions, and possibly personal injury or death for persons involved in the theft or subsequent recovery efforts..." Click here for link to report.
The Presumption of Guilt and the English Law of Theft, 1750-1850
Law and History Review, 23, 1, B. P. Smith (2005)
“On October 24, 1836, Thomas Murray, a self-styled metal dealer, appeared before the attending magistrate at the Thames Police Office at Wapping New Stairs, on the north side of the Thames near Execution Dock.Officers had arrested Murray and a man named Edward Bloxham in the parish of Saint Giles with 400 pounds-weight of lead in their possession, which had apparently been "doubled up and beaten together in such size and shape as to be carried ... under the clothes..." Click here for link to article.
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Bibliography of Research Journal Articles on
Copper Theft-Related Injuries and Deaths
Yes, it seems there are enough injuries and deaths related to copper theft to sustain a whole genre of study within the medical research field. MetalTheft.Net has compiled a list of current article titles and abstracts from such journals as the Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries and the Journal of Burn Care & Research. The full length articles can be accessed through libraries with subscriptions to the journals, but we cannot provide links to the full text of the articles on this site. Click here for bibliography.
Issue Briefs
Links to full-text metal theft issue briefs
Metal Theft: Public Hazard, Law Enforcement Challenge
Hearing Before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs (2009)
"Today we have a hearing with three goals: The first is to review the scale and scope of the metal theft problem as a criminal problem; we want to assess the threat that it poses to public safety and our critical infrastructure; and we want to consider possible legislative solutions to the problem and hear new recommendations and suggestions, especially from the law enforcement community..." Click here for link to transcript.
Secondary Metal Recyclers and Metal Theft
Dallas City Council Briefing (2008)
“Metal thefts in Dallas were up 227% in 2007 from 2005...” Click here for link to briefing.
If you have any metal theft research reports you would like to share, please send them to contact@metaltheft.net.
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