With all of its other issues does California need more anti theft educational courses? One of the greatest problems plaguing our country today (I know that’s a bold statement) is metal theft. Not only does metal theft cost billions of dollars to replace, but destroys infrastructure as well.

California’s Governor, Jerry Brown has vetoed a pair of bills targeting this problem. As reported in www.ect.coop.

The first measure would have banned cash payments for copper and other metals. Instead, scrap dealers would have had to mail a check to the seller’s home address.

In his veto message, Brown agreed with sponsors that metal theft has reached epidemic proportions not only in California, but across the United States, and noted he signed four bills last year to prevent more theft. But that was where the governor drew the line.

Existing law requires that a seller wait three days before receiving payment for metal material, a written record of the transaction, the name, driver’s license number, license plate number, thumbprint of the seller, and a photograph or video of the seller and the material being sold.

Brown also vetoed a bill which would have required the California Department of Justice to establish a Metal Theft Task Force Program. It would have provided funding to regional task forces to help law enforcement and prosecutors fight metal theft.

I have to laud Brown for this veto. His reason for the veto is sound, noting the bill creates a new enforcement effort without identifying a funding source.

Hopefully we will enforce these laws more stringently. Enforcement is the key to stopping the problem. If we can stop the theft before it happens, so much the better. That is why mandatory theft education classes should be implemented.