[MassHistPres] stolen metal artifacts

[Dennis De Witt]

As you may have seen in the Globe the other day, thousands of feet of  
the cast iron trim from the Longfellow Bridge have disappeared from a  
storage yard.  Not long before that a bronze statue was stolen from  
Forest Hills Cemetery.  During the last year there have been stories  
of  stolen bronze veterans grave markers and building plaques and a  
bronze cannon -- not to mention cast aluminum street signs and wrought  
iron fences.

90% of what most scrap metal dealers buy is legitimate.  And I assume  
most scrap dealers are legitimate.  But when sorting the iron from the  
aluminum from the bronze -- which must be done -- the dealer must know  
something's fishy when a statue or a building plaque shows up!  And I  
suspect the people stealing these things know where the policy is  
"cash paid and no questions asked".

All sorts of businesses in the state are licensed -- especially where  
there is the possibility of crime or harm occurring in relation to  
misuse.  Why not license scrap metal dealers and make them keep a log  
of their purchases, including photo ID based information on the  
seller.  (Anyone dealing only in cars or drink cans could be exempted.)

If every licensed dealer was on an e-mail list which could be notified  
immediately by the police of the theft of an identifiable item (not  
downspouts, unfortunately), such stolen goods might become unsalable  
and unscrupulous dealers could not claim ignorance.

It would only take a few hits to single out the bad apples.  And the  
risk of a lost license for dealing in stolen property might save our  
historic metal artifacts (and maybe some stolen copper downspouts).

Anyone know a legislator or two?

Dennis De Witt
Brookline