Theft of Steel Targets

[Jim Norman]

One of our club members, Mike D. from New Jersey has just had his trailer broken into and all the steel targets he had have been stolen. Please be aware of anyone selling or suddenly owning the following steel targets. Most of us know Mike. If you hear of anything about these stolen items, please get in touch with me, I'll pass the info along to Mike. Thank you for your cooperation.

The complete steel challenge set, 2 small & 2 large pepper poppers, 4 medium steel rectangles, 20 new GT paper target stands and other various steel targets. These items and others where stolen from Mike's shooting trailer Thursday night and the police have little hope of recovery. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Jim Norman

[jar]

That sucks. I'd get pictures out to all the local scrap dealers. I can't see someone stealing them to sell to shooters.

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

[hiker88]

I hate thieves!!! Mike D's a stand up guy and very helpful and encouraging to a lot of new shooters in the area. I hope they find the stolen equipment and put the thieves behind bars.

[DougCarden]

check scrap yards asap. They will flip it for a quick buck for XMAS since they probably don't know what they have...

Good luck,

DougC

[Canuck223]

check scrap yards asap. They will flip it for a quick buck for XMAS since they probably don't know what they have...

Good luck,

DougC

My thoughts exactly.

[Jim Norman]

I am going to our local yard here Monday. I agree that the scrap yards don't know what they are getting in this case. If anyone here is NJ based and can get a list of scrap dealers and get a note to them ASAP I am sure it will be appreciated. It is unlikely that we are dealing with a shooter, more likely someone that opened what they thought was going to be a trailer full of lawn care or construction equipment.

[chemepharmd]

Hate to hear about it. Hopefully the scrap yard people will be honest if you find the one who got it. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common problem almost everywhere.

[Al Capizzo]

This happened with North Texas Practical Shooters a few months ago. For the 2nd time. Someone broke in to a building, backed up to the prop trailer and drove off with it all.

[JKSNIPER]

Jim,

100% agreement with the prior posting saying this thief is taking this steel to a scrap yard.

HUGE problem here with bldgs under construction or vacant houses on the market.

Had a new house here the workmen left for the day...came back the next day and the boiler and about half the copper pipes were gone.

Big time in commercial bldgs now vacant for various reasons...had a crew that was buying new tools from home depot specifically to use in this one bldg to cut away the pipes.

They were making a killing at it until someone spotted them.

Check the yards and let the owners know about it along with local sector car operators so they know if they see a trailer load of steel moving down the highway to look out for it.

Check yards the next town over too...most criminals will be shrewd enough to go one town over to sell the stuff but too lazy to go too much further than that.

Good luck and I hope you find these guys.

JK

Edited December 27, 2011 by JKSNIPER

[Vespid_Wasp]

Thieves are scum. Hopefully the targets are recovered. We have been victims of scrap thieves before. The really bad part is the destruction of valuable items for the relative pittance of scrap value. It's bad enough if they steal a bunch of junked cars.... it's worse when they steal functional items.

[MrP]

I'll keep an eye out.

[ArmdCtzn]

Had the same thing happen to me. They took all of my steel targets. Luckily I found them at the first and nearest scrap yard. The scrap yard claimed they hadn't seen anything like I described, and they weren't too happy with me walking through their piles. I told them to call the police. I did find almost all of my targets buried in one pile. I had to actually buy them back from the scrap yard. That really sucked, but I was happy to have them all back. I'm sure the scrap yard knew they were there. They are pretty distinctive shapes, and painted white. There were four or five full-size poppers, several mini-poppers, plates, stands, etc. I can't believe how much work the thieves did for the little money they got.

[jar]

Had the same thing happen to me. They took all of my steel targets. Luckily I found them at the first and nearest scrap yard. The scrap yard claimed they hadn't seen anything like I described, and they weren't too happy with me walking through their piles. I told them to call the police. I did find almost all of my targets buried in one pile. I had to actually buy them back from the scrap yard. That really sucked, but I was happy to have them all back. I'm sure the scrap yard knew they were there. They are pretty distinctive shapes, and painted white. There were four or five full-size poppers, several mini-poppers, plates, stands, etc. I can't believe how much work the thieves did for the little money they got.

I would've called the police myself. I'm pretty sure knowingly receiving stolen property is a crime. It probably wasn't provable, but the investigation might make them think twice next time.

[ironman5669]

Same thing happened here in california, nvsa had all of their steel stolen. it cost over 4000.00 dollars to replace it all.

[ArmdCtzn]

I would've called the police myself. I'm pretty sure knowingly receiving stolen property is a crime. It probably wasn't provable, but the investigation might make them think twice next time.

I called the police when the scrap yard said it was closing time and I had to leave. I told them I wasn't leaving until I had all my targets. I was still digging them out of the other scrap. They told me I couldn't put anything in my truck and I had to leave. The cops showed up, then about four more cops that I shoot with regularly showed up. It was an education for most of us. The scrap yard is held harmless. They can't be expected to know what is stolen according to the law in Ohio. Also, they are seen as a victim of a crime in Ohio in a situation like this. So, I had to pay them back what they paid the thieves in order to legally reclaim my targets. What a crock, but that is the law. Of course, the scrap yard had no idea who brought my stuff in, what the truck looked like or anything else. It really is a problem.

[jar]

I called the police when the scrap yard said it was closing time and I had to leave. I told them I wasn't leaving until I had all my targets. I was still digging them out of the other scrap. They told me I couldn't put anything in my truck and I had to leave. The cops showed up, then about four more cops that I shoot with regularly showed up. It was an education for most of us. The scrap yard is held harmless. They can't be expected to know what is stolen according to the law in Ohio. Also, they are seen as a victim of a crime in Ohio in a situation like this. So, I had to pay them back what they paid the thieves in order to legally reclaim my targets. What a crock, but that is the law. Of course, the scrap yard had no idea who brought my stuff in, what the truck looked like or anything else. It really is a problem.

Thinking through it from the scrap yard's perspective, I understand why the law is that way, but it still sucks for the theft victim. I wouldn't have minded paying them back the scrap value *too* much if they weren't dicks about it, but the way it went down for you, I'd be pissed.

In a perfect world, I'd have the law require a good faith effort on the part of the scrap yard to avoid purchasing stolen property, but it's hard to define exactly what that would be in a fair and consistent way. It's probably never been an issue before to the degree it is now due to high commodity prices combined with a bad economy. If I were trying to get the law fixed, I'd look toward how pawn shops are regulated.

[JKSNIPER]

Hmmm....here in NY it would be possession of stolen property and the scrap yard WOULD be held responsible.

Same thing as if you go to NYC and a guy comes out of an alley and offers to sell you a Rolex cheap.

A REASONABLE person would know that no one sells a Rolex cheap so the buyer would be guilty of crime possession of stolen property.

Same with scrap yard...whys the guy getting rid of perfectly good steel? Whats his name? Plate # of vehicle? Association with range? Oh they didn't take that info? So they just thought every citizen drives around with a million pounds of steel targets in their Prius looking to dump them at a scrap yard?

You at LEAST have a good civil case against the yard. They kept NO records from the guys who dumped the targets so it seems to me they should be held liable for the fact that the targets were stolen. Maybe next time they'll make more inquiries.

[MGMorden]

Not sure if this was the motive (though I do know that theft of anything metal has been getting worse - particularly people ripping heating/air units out of vacant homes), but just a few months ago a law was passed here that stated that in order to sell to a scrap yard you had to have a permit from the sheriff's office. The permit is free, but they need to get you in the system and the scrap yard that buys it must record your permit # along with any purchases.

It might not do any good, and I'm not sure if this was a local law or state, but it seems like a step in the right direction.

In any event, I hope your friends get their targets back.

[Vlad]

This theft was not about scrap. I was told that apparently scrap angle iron was moved away to remove the targets. I believe a couple of beat up poppers were left behind as well. Sadly, if this information is correct, this is probably one of us, I probably know the perpetrator even if I may never know who they are. Not a nice feeling knowing that. Hell, that person may even be reading this thread, in which case: You sir are an a_-hole, pond scum called to inform me it doesn't feel it would be fair for me to compare it to you. Targeting Mike D for theft, one of the nicest people in this sport, always helping others, is just beyond imagination. Sooner or later scum like this will be identified or figured out, and legal issues aside, you will be DONE in the shooting community.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Vlad

[ArmdCtzn]

The only thing worse than low-life scrappers stealing it for the little they get,

would be a shooter that knows about them stealing them to use.

[George Post]

I've told five or six of my customers who are scrap collecters/ dealers that I'm looking for targets, hoping to get a lead. But after reading what Vlad wrote.... WOW just wow.

This is a sad situation.

[scffacenter1]

Hope you find your stuff, and I hope whoever took them goes home to find their house in ashes (along with their guns) I can't stand a theif.

[Chills1994]

This theft was not about scrap. I was told that apparently scrap angle iron was moved away to remove the targets. I believe a couple of beat up poppers were left behind as well. Sadly, if this information is correct, this is probably one of us, I probably know the perpetrator even if I may never know who they are. Not a nice feeling knowing that. Hell, that person may even be reading this thread, in which case: You sir are an a_-hole, pond scum called to inform me it doesn't feel it would be fair for me to compare it to you. Targeting Mike D for theft, one of the nicest people in this sport, always helping others, is just beyond imagination. Sooner or later scum like this will be identified or figured out, and legal issues aside, you will be DONE in the shooting community.

my initial tin foil hat gut reaction is:

1. it is somebody who is a member of your range/club who doesn't necessarily shoot USPSA...they just wanted to make USPSA matches less fun for you all. got trap or skeet shooters there too?

of course, I could be totally wrong and talking out of my heiney

2. it is somebody who has shot USPSA there, probably has helped set up and torn down too, and they have some land where they can practice on their own out there...I mean who would be stupid enough to show up to some other range with YOUR poppers???

3. got a neighbor close by with a house who doesn't like all the shooting noise on Saturday or Sunday mornings on match day?

4. somebody who thinks they are B. A. Baracus of the A-Team and they are going to weld the poppers over the front of their 80's era conversion van

5. kids...vandals really...with nothing better to with their time.

as far as the angle iron not getting swiped....well how long was it? if it was a 10 foot or 20 foot stick, they probably didn't want to drive around with the thing sticking out of the back of their pick up truck.

anywhooo....that's my theory anyway. that sucks!

[Vlad]

1) These were personal property of Mike D, not club owned, just his personal practice/teaching stuff.

2) In NJ not really an option to shoot on your own land

3) Clubs are in the wood and away from people, also the stuff was stolen from Mike's property not from a club

4) Now that is is an idea

5) Too selective in what they picked

[warpspeed]

Last summer I had my business broken into and they stole about a ton of metal parts.

We went to the scrap yard and found some of them including the guy trying to sell them. Sheriff came and arrested him for possession of stolen property but he claimed he got it from someone else. He still went to jail.

Sad part was he got $ 350 for some stuff that to us was worth $ 40K.