The British Metal Recycling Association (BMRA) has issued a warning about the problem of metal theft, following a report by the Parliamentary Group on Metal, Stone and Heritage crime.
Steel is an essential component of warehouse equipment, such as aisle picking trolleys, shelving units, and packing tables. Most of the steel used in manufacturing this equipment contains recycled steel. There is a global market for scrap metal to produce new steel.
Warehouse security typically prioritizes the prevention of the theft of inventory in the warehouse, rather than the protection of the metal equipment used to handle and store items. The report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) highlights the increasing amount of metal stolen each year, which suggests that warehouse security should give serious consideration to the risk of equipment theft.
The CEO of BMRA, James Kelly accuses some scrap metal dealers of looking the other way when buying stolen metal, making it easy for thieves to sell steel. He wants the police to collect more data on metal crime to assess the seriousness of the problem.
The chair of APGG, Andrew Selous MP, says that metal is valuable and attracts thieves. He claims that metal theft is not recorded as a serious crime, which hides the true scale of the issue.
James Kelly accuses the Home Office and local authorities of failing to address the issue of metal theft effectively. To combat this problem, the APGG proposes establishing a metal theft working group led by the Home Office.
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