[MassHistPres] stolen metal artifacts

[Dennis De Witt]

Tris

This is a national and endemic problem.  It flares up every time there  
are metal shortages.  It was a similar problem during the Viet Nam war.

I think it needs a legal/institutional response.  Maybe an  
organization like HMI could get together with affected governmental  
agencies -- such as DCR whose cost for replacing the Longfellow  
castings alone will be $750k! -- to work on sponsoring legislation.   
It would have to be a sustained effort.  Often such things take a  
couple of attempts to get thru the legislature, so they need some  
weight behind them.

Dennis




On Sep 11, 2008, at 2:06 PM, Tristram Metcalfe wrote:

> Thanks Dennis
>
> The quickest means may be to "inform" the dealers who ARE  the guilty
> enablers to those who may be desperate hungry rouges or the  
> disadvantaged
> fringe,,, telling them that;
> "They are in fact the thieves [as in getaway drivers] and they will be
> prosecuted.."
>
> A better structured language with advice from a pro-bona pro- 
> preservation
> attorney would be wise,,, BUT DO send the message regardless to ALL
> vendors,, and you/we may deter them,, by making them into heroes as  
> they
> plug this drain of our historic equity.
>
> They are heroes OR they are criminals,, it's their choice.
>
> Tris
>
> Tristram W. Metcalfe III,   AIA  NCARB  NY MA CT
> 142  Main St. Northampton, Mass. 01060
> E <twm3 at metcalfe-architecture.com>
> P 413.586.5775 C 413.695.8200
> Alt.E < twm3 at rcn.com >
> http://www.wmaia.org/firm_profiles/metcalfe_associates.html
>
>
>
>> 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
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