Credit: Tom Sofield
Perhaps it was serendipitous that on the day State Rep Tina Davis’ (D- Bucks) Scrap Metal Bill was approved by the House Consumer Affairs Committee two Bucks County residents were arrested for stealing bronze markers from a Bensalem cemetery to sell them as scrap, according to media reports.
The arrests perfectly illustrates why we need this law, Davis said Tuesday.
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According to CBS Philly, authorities have surveillance video showing Andrew Townsend and Danielle Holmberg removing the bronze plaques from stones at King David Cemetery in Bensalem earlier this month. Investigators say the pair sold the bronze plates, worth more than $7,500 to a scrap dealer for just pennies on the dollar, the report states.
The legislation would require scrap processors and recycling facilities to register with the state. The legislation also would increase the credentials required for transactions involving restricted materials, according to the online version of the bill.
“Scrap metal thefts are not nuisances but increasingly lucrative illegal endeavors that pose threats to public safety and victimize families, business and industries,” said Davis, a committee member. “House Bill 1086 responds to the growing menace without burdening the scrap-metal industry.”
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The bill was amended Tuesday adding railroad materials to the list of restricted materials and additionally would give courts flexibility to impound vehicles involved in scrap thefts.
Davis said the legislation would require scrap processors and recycling facilities to register with the state. House Bill 1086 also would increase the credentials required for transactions involving restricted materials.
“These safeguards would reduce the plague of metal thefts throughout the commonwealth, including the out-of-control thefts of veterans’ markers from cemeteries,” Davis said. “I’m pleased that Pennsylvania is moving forward with these crime deterrents, which were negotiated with law enforcement and legitimate dealers.”
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The measure, reported out of the committee on a 24-1 vote, now goes to the full House for consideration.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
