Twice, Thieves Steal Supermarket Bread Racks

Twice now, someone or some people have stolen large metal bread racks from the loading dock at Stop & Shop at Goodwives Shopping Center.

The first theft occured sometime between 5 a.m., March 28 and 5 a.m. the next day. The second was last seen in the afternoon of last Tuesday, April 4, and discovered missing at 6:30 a.m. the next day.

Each rack is valued at $479, according to . The gray racks, made of magnesium, are identical in design, with each one 6 feet tall and 31 inches wide.

Scrap metal thefts, here and elsewhere

Another recent theft of metal in Darien occured sometime before March 24 when .

Who would steal a large magnesium bread rack? Well, they've been stolen in the past by thieves who sell them as scrap metal, as reported in this 1988 article in The Houston Chronicle.

In Connecticut, state law mandates that scrap metal dealers record information on those who to them, as Connecticut Magazine reported in an article last November:

"Under Connecticut law, scrap dealers must keep records of metal received, a description, weight, price paid and identification of the person who delivered it, along with a photo of the delivery vehicle and license plate. Dealers have occasionally been fined for failing to maintain documentation, but amazingly, not a single arrest has been reported."

A wave of scrap metal thefts have been reported around the country and abroad, and lawmakers in various places are actively considering regulations on scrap metal sales:

• Kentucky: One municipality and the state Legislature are considering laws to regulate scrap metal sales in ways that would frustrate theves. On March 21, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported a description of the problem by a state lawmaker: "Rep. Tanya Pullin [...] said metal thieves have taken guardrails, manhole covers, catalytic converters, utility lines, even rooftop air-conditioning units. Nationwide, copper thefts are estimated to cost businesses $1 billion a year."
• Maine: "Copper thieves also have hit electric utilities, communications companies, construction sites and even schools," wrote a Maine state legislator on Monday in the Morning Sentinel of Waterville, ME. Homeowners have returned to their houses to find the copper tubing ripped out, according to the lawmaker. The chief of Maine state police blamed high scrap metal prices and an epidemic of prescription drug abuse. That state Legislature also is looking into tightening up regulations on selling scrap metal.
• United Kingdom: Parliament last week considered legislation to crack down on sales of stolen scrap metal. In an article published Thursday, the police chief of Teighenbridge told the Herald Leader of South Devon: "We have seen incidents were people have, in the middle of the night, gone underneath cars and taken catalytic converters. It's even got to the point where three drain covers have been stolen from a busy road [...]"