Dive summary:

• The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. has been trumpeting the success of scrap yards working with local police to cut down thieves making money from stolen material.
• One problem ISRI points out is how often police don’t understand the scrap industry and they sometimes assume that most or all products brought into scrap yards are stolen.
• When scrap is stolen, workers can not only help recover it but can also help police identify what 300 pounds of stolen batteries might look like.

From the article:

"Law enforcement has no idea what 300 pounds of batteries is. They have no clue," Mock said.

Samples of scrap materials donated by scrap yards can be invaluable in helping law enforcement officers be able to recognize stolen items. Beebe said it can take months for someone starting out in scrap metal theft to genuinely understand how to handle a case.

When Beebe began working on scrap metal thefts, "to me this [transaction ticket] was hieroglyphics. I didn't know what it was. I didn't know what bare bright was, I didn't know what No. 1 copper was. It took me a lot of work and a lot of time to figure that out." ...