Denver takes aim at copper wire thefts with new rules. Will it see the same success it did with catalytic converters?

Denver is attempting to reduce thefts of copper wire and other scrap metal through a new set of restrictions the City Council approved this week as it strives to address the growing predicament while avoiding criminal penalties Under the regulations passed Monday scrap metal recycling dealers can no longer pay cash for certain materials that include copper bronze brass and aluminum They also can t accept any materials delivered to them in something other than a bicycle That means buyers will have to turn away walk-up sellers who use shopping carts bikes and scooters to bring the materials The rules exempt purchases of coins cans and precious metals like gold and silver What we are doing is targeting the underground market that incentivizes theft of high-value materials especially copper which has led to thousands of dollars of theft around our city disclosed Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez one of the measure s sponsors The council approved the ordinance - Councilwomen Shontel Lewis and Sarah Parady opposed the measure because of its requirement that dealers pay people using checks instead of cash During an earlier committee meeting Lewis declared she worried that rule could impact low-income people who don t have a bank account and rely on the cash payments Alvidrez and her fellow sponsor Councilman Darrell Watson responded that majority of people who don t use banks and rely on income from scrap metal sales are selling recyclable materials which are exempt under the bill It s rare to legally obtain copper Watson announced There is not really a magical bin of copper just sitting on the side of the street where folks are pulling out copper for survival he announced Under the ordinance dealers also must cooperate with police keep records of sales for days and obtain a junk dealer license The records have to include photos or videos of sellers and their license plates and copies of their IDs Sellers must also sign an affidavit stating where they got the scrap metal The dealers are subject to a fine for each day they are not in compliance The council passed similar rules related to catalytic converter theft in That ordinance required dealers and resellers to identify anyone looking to sell them the items second-hand and to review purchases to police within a day Since then catalytic converter thefts have gone down by Watson revealed The new scrap metal regulations are seeking to build on that success Neighborhoods north and northeast of downtown which Watson represents in part are specific of the areas majority of impacted by the thefts More than metal thefts have been informed throughout the entire city since Several local entities including the Regional Transportation District and Denver Water supported the measure In a report RTD announced copper wire thefts had cost the transit district more than since not including losses of organization due to related power outages along its rail lines Any regulation that disincentivizes and discourages copper wire thefts and reduces function impacts to our customers is welcomed by RTD declared Marta Sipeki a spokesperson for the transit agency Related Articles Johnston should advocacy adjustment of city s courts and sentencing Letters New equestrian center hotel project at National Western Center wins approval from Denver council Time of reckoning has arrived for Denver s troubled office towers Denver again delays decision on million expansion of National Western Center Denver postpones effort to give essential raises to Mayor Mike Johnston s top appointees Denver Parks and Recreation broadcasted in losses Watson announced Losing even a small amount of copper can cause massive damage he revealed Local scrap metal dealers largely supported the measure but several petitioned the council to exclude the cash payment prohibition A spokesperson for Denver Scrap Metal Recycling which helped the city recover bronze pieces of the Martin Luther King Jr I Have a Dream memorial in City Park after they were stolen last year disclosed it also wants to reduce scrap metal theft We already know how to discourage theft and catch it when it occurs and we have been implementing those practices for years says an emailed message from CEO George Medley Banning cash payments disproportionately harms low-income individuals and families who rely on legitimate scrap metal recycling as a source of income The new regulations go into effect forthwith Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot