ISRI appoints new members to metals theft Law Enforcement Advisory Council

Conner Samuels, senior director of security operations investigations, policy and threat management at Time Warner Cable, and Sergeant Todd Powell of the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Metal Theft Unit in Maryland, have recently been named to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries’ (ISRI) Law Enforcement Advisory Council (LEAC). The Council is a select group of experienced law enforcement officers, prosecutors and security personnel with an understanding of the metals theft issue. Based on its expertise, LEAC advises ISRI on ways to assist law enforcement and the resources it can provide to address the problem of metals theft.

“Since it was formed nearly a year ago, the members of ISRI’s Law Enforcement Advisory Council have provided the industry with useful, valuable information and knowledge,” said Brady Mills, director of law enforcement outreach for ISRI. “We welcome the additional experience that Mr. Samuels and Sergeant Powell offer the recycling industry when dealing with this serious crime. Across the country recyclers are partnering with law enforcement to fight metals theft in their communities. The tools we provide to assist in the fight and be part of the solution are helping to deter crime and recover stolen property.”

The Law Enforcement Advisory Council was formed in January 2014, and currently consists of 11 members, including representatives from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs’ Association, prosecutors, police departments, utilities, and corporate security.

Most recently, ISRI and the LEAC began developing tools for prosecutors to assist with building a metals theft case. Last Month, LEAC member Fred Burmester introduced a draft prosecutor’s tool kit. It is currently being formatted and reviewed for future distribution in partnership with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA).

In addition to the formation of the LEAC, ISRI also conducts workshops across the country in an effort to bring law enforcement and scrap recyclers together to share ideas and discuss ways to work together to reduce scrap theft. In the past year, ISRI launched an upgraded version of ScrapTheftAlert.com and a new website, StopMetalsTheft.org. ScrapTheftAlert.com is a free tool for law enforcement that allows police and victims to alert the scrap industry of significant thefts of materials in the United States and Canada. StopMetalsTheft.org serves as an online resource for law enforcement, prosecutors, legislators, and the recycling industry by providing practical tools, success stories, news, legal resources, FAQs, and background on fighting metals theft.