Dive Summary:

• After seeing a rise in scrap metal burglaries in his district, U.S Senator, Charles Schumer (D - NY), has proposed making scrap thefts a federal offense.  
• The proposal would require sellers to provide proof of ownership to scrap dealers and recyclers before any sale.  It would also limit the amount that total amount that could be paid to any individual to $100.  Stealing from utilities and other critical infrastructure sources would become a federal offense.
• "You gotta go after everybody. It's like drugs, and with strong federal enforcement you can go after the bad guys who can often go on the move and cross city and county lines," Schumer said.
   

From the article:

Federal officials are proposing a crackdown on those who steal scrap metal. As prices have risen, so have the number of thefts in and around Rochester. Some crimes would become federal offenses under the proposal.

Bob Frank figures most of the stuff brought to his Portland Avenue Scrap yard is legitimate, but police say a growing number of burglaries in the city are pulled off for scrap metal.

"They're mostly crackheads, drug addicts,” said Bob Frank. "They just come out and they're going to continue to do it because they need their fix."