This book explores the little-known world of scrappers and metal thieves. Benjamin F. Stickle bases his study on field research collected while traversing communities with thieves and scrappers. Drawing on candid interviews, observations of criminals at work, and participation in the scrapping subculture, the volume describes the subculture of scrappers and identifies differences between scrappers and metal thieves. Through the offenders’ perspective, often quoting their candid responses, Stickle explores the motivations for metal theft as well as the techniques and methods for successfully committing theft. The book discusses how these methods and techniques are learned and identifies ways—often through the thieves’ own words—to prevent metal theft. Throughout the book, Stickle also challenges common assumptions about this community and identifies wider policy implications.

Last year over 35,000 journeys were delayed or cancelled due cable theft which also cost Network Rail more than £16m. Cable theft from the rail network is part of an increase in metal theft across the country made easy by the way in which stolen metal can be sold to scrap metal dealers. We need urgent reform to improve the audit trail generated by the scrap metal industry so that criminals selling stolen metal into the trade can be identified much more easily. The Committee calls for additional powers for the police to help them in their efforts to combat metal theft. The Government should introduce a new offence of aggravated trespass on the railway to help deter cable thieves. The British Transport Police should be given new powers so that officers can enter both registered and unregistered scrap metal sites along with additional resources to carry out their enforcement work". The Committee also recommends: i) The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 should be reformed so that individuals selling metal have to provide proof of their identity before a transaction can take place; ii) the Government should test the use of cashless trading in the scrap metal industry; iii) there should be greater clarity around compensation arrangements so that train operators cannot profit from disruption caused by cable theft; iv) Network Rail should develop a costed programme of measures to make cable more difficult to steal and v) the Department for Transport should update the Committee on work being undertaken to help passengers stranded on trains near stations to complete their journey