House Bill 390 Letter to the Editor

Courier-Journal – By Metro Council Members David Yates and David James

Churches, telephone lines, air-conditioning units, cars, broadcasting towers, construction sites, civil defense sirens, manhole covers.

What do all these things have in common? They’re all targets of metal thieves throughout Kentucky. We are writing to applaud State Representatives Linda Belcher, Larry Clark, Joni Jenkins, Charlie Miller, Tim Moore, Tom Riner and many other state legislators for standing up to do something about it this year.

It’s well-known that theft of copper, brass, zinc and other metals is a growing problem in Kentucky and beyond. With commodities prices high, these metals are worth a lot more in scrapyards than they used to be.

Thieves in big cities and small towns alike have gotten used to quick cash for stealing these metals from honest citizens and businesses.

There’s little doubt that cash makes its way to the drug trade pretty quickly.

Now, though, Kentucky metal thieves had better think twice. The 2012 Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 390, which cracks down on metal theft by stiffening penalties and giving law enforcement stronger tools to find and prosecute the criminals involved.

Thanks to House Bill 390, it’s a lot more likely Kentucky metal thieves will be caught and prosecuted — if they even steal the metals at all after finding out the stiffer jail times and higher fines awaiting convicted metal thieves in our state.

The Metro Council continues to work on local legislation to stop these thefts using the state law as a solid foundation for putting a dent in the scourge of metal theft in Kentucky.

DAVID YATES, Metro Council 25 –Louisville 40214

DAVID JAMES , Metro Council 6 –Louisville 40208

To read the Courier-Journal Letter to the Editor, click here.