Abstract
Metal theft has become a substantial crime problem in many areas. In response, several countries have introduced legislation to regulate scrap-metal recycling yards. However, at present there is little evidence to support this use of the market reduction approach (MRA) in preventing metal theft. The present study sought to test the underlying assumption of the MRA that the presence of a market for stolen property (in this case provided by scrap yards) drives thefts in a local area. This study tested for a spatial association between the locations of scrap yards and those of metal thefts. The density of industry, local burglary rate and road-accessibility of an area were controlled for. Metal thefts from railway lines in England were shown to be significantly more common in areas with more scrap-metal yards, high road accessibility and high population density. The results support the use of the MRA in relation to metal theft.
Highlights
The theft of metal items for their scrap resale value has become a substantial crime problem in many areas, likely driven by increases in the wholesale price of many scrap metals compared to historical averages (Sidebottom, Ashby, & Johnson, 2014, Sidebottom, Belur, Bowers, Tompson, & Johnson, 2011)
The present study found a significant positive association between the locations of scrap-metal dealers (SMDs) and the locations of metal thefts from railways in England at the small-area level
This was the case even after population density, accessibility, industrialisation and the local burglary rate had been taken into account
Summary
The theft of metal items for their scrap resale value has become a substantial crime problem in many areas, likely driven by increases in the wholesale price of many scrap metals compared to historical averages (Sidebottom, Ashby, & Johnson, 2014, Sidebottom, Belur, Bowers, Tompson, & Johnson, 2011). As well as the cost of replacing stolen metal, thefts from infrastructure networks in particular can cause widespread disruption, which has led to pressure on governments in many countries to take action to prevent metal thefts. Such action has commonly focused on implementing the market reduction approach (MRA) to crime reduction (Sutton, Johnston, & Lockwood, 1998, see below), through increasing the regulation of scrap-metal dealers (SMDs).
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