Madison is stepping up efforts to go after scrap metal “scavengers.” City Recycling Coordinator George Dreckmann says it’s turned into a big business, as the price of scrap metal has increased.
Dreckmann says people have been “roaming the streets” taking material that has been left out for collection by city staff. He says items such as old bikes, appliances, and bed frames bring in “tens of thousands a dollars a year” for the city’s recycling department, which is now being lost.
Dreckmann says it’s illegal to take the metal, however the law is difficult to enforce because many of the thieves work at night and “scavengers” need to be caught in the act. He says they have been working with police, but only a handful of cases have been prosecuted.
AUDIO: John Colbert reports (:38)