Missouri County Passes Copper Theft Ordinance

A new law in St. Louis County, Mo., addresses the frequent theft of copper, catalytic converters and air conditioner parts.

The St. Louis County Council unanimously passed the measure that seeks to restrict the purchase sale of the frequently stolen materials. It is modeled after a similar bill enacted in 2011 in St. Louis city.

The limitation of the bill is that it applies only to unincorporated areas of St. Louis County. Police Chief Tim Fitch is hopeful municipalities will adjust their ordinances to match the county law.

Fitch says about one-third of county burglaries involve theft of scrap metal from foreclosed or vacant houses.

The new law requires any person selling scrap metal to present a valid identification, and dealers must keep a computer database of all transactions.