MICHIGAN — On Tuesday, Senator Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) introduced legislation that will help take a bite out of scrap metal theft.  

The theft of scrap affects urban, suburban and rural communities.  It also contributes directly to the problem of blight communities. 

In recent years, thefts of various types of metal have been on the rise, both in Michigan and nationwide. This trend involves the theft of copper tubing from construction sites and copper wiring from telephone or utility lines.

Metal products are also stolen from schools, churches, cemeteries, parks, farms, automobiles, and abandoned and occupied houses.

The Senate Bills are 468, 469, and 470. The bills are co-sponsored by Senator Michael Kowall, the Chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee, where the bills were referred.