When your dad gets rid of your old dead car, chances are that the next time you see that car in a junkyard, all of its metallic frames and interiors would have been gone with the wind. Cars do not decompose; they get scrapped. The business of scrapping is defined as the process of stripping of metals off of a certain destination, to the point where the damage caused by such excavation deems the building or object no longer fit for reestablishment or usage. This kind of scrapping is a worldwide industry that attracts a lot of investors and stock shares. However, this industry crosses the line into illegal activity when the operators are unlicensed, the targets of scrapping are often marked for reconstruction/rehabilitation, and that in many cases, the destruction following such vandalism is too much for the city to bear. This is the case in Detroit.
The economic downfall of Detroit, in addition to other adjacent regions, has taken a toll on the general public. An automotive giant in its prime, Detroit was eventually reduced to dust and ashes, as White Flight, poverty, high crime, and foreign automobile competition ripped the city apart. By the late 1980s, Michigan’s urban areas had no pulse. On July 18, 2013, A New York Times article “Billions in Debt, Detroit Tumbles into Insolvency” by Monica Davey, announced that the burdens of Detroit have finally broken its dam of financial stability as the city filed for bankruptcy on July 18, 2013. With the indigenous population facing many hardships and obstacles, unemployment and relocation became common themes in the once industrial city.
With these factors in mind, many residents, corporations, and private investors draw away from the city, leaving behind foundations that had once flourished with harmony and cohesion. But where many saw these buildings as regions of disparity and destitution, others saw opportunities.
The abandoned complexes and neglected government/ private properties gave rise to one of the most modern criminal businesses–illegal scrapping. This business prevents any possibility of reincarnation for those deserted complexes and leads to the further demise of the infamous city of Detroit.
The perpetrators themselves, from high school dropouts to ostracized residents, embark on these paths, all while knowing the consequences that may follow. According to a New York Times article “Dismantling Detroit” by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, these men and women, prior to casing a region for scraps, have knowledge of the existing market for scraps, thus, having a good idea of how much they can make.
During the process of illegal scrapping, the scrappers often get everything they can get their hands on. A prominent example of the destruction that can be caused through such enterprise is seen in the WXYX article “Battle against Illegal Scrapping Gains Support,” by Simon Shaykhet, which tells the story of Pastor Keith Hill’s dreams of reusing an old school for community-based purposes that vanished as scrappers purged the academic building of its metal, to the point where the inner features resembled a scene after a bomb explosion.
Illegal scrapping also takes a toll on the already-existing legal scrapping industry in Detroit. When the unlicensed operators are shrouded with desperation, scrap yards become targets of interests. Additionally, scrap yards purchase illegal scraps, for once the scrap hits the market, it becomes hard to distinguish legal from illegal.
Legal authorities and Detroit’s police departments have taken approaches to handle such situations. As described in CBS Detroit’s “Association President On Illegal Scrapping: We Need Payment Control,” the city’s local law enforcement, in cooperation with legislators and scrap yards in proximity, has issued a mandate requiring scrapyards to keep paper trails of purchases, in order to ensure that the clients have acquired their scraps in a credible matter.
Other measures were also taken by the police to extinguish the flames of the wildfire caused by the ever-growing syndicate. Mlive’s article “Detroit-Area Law Enforcer’s Call for Clamp-Down on Illegal Scrap Metal,” by Gus Burns, reports that the city’s local law enforcement agencies have made pleas to implement a stricter approach reflecting scrap purchases and exchanges. The law enforcement demanded that “they want increased ID requirements, a three-day hold on payments, elimination of cash transactions and the creation of a Web-based scrap metal database.” To counter the destructive disassembling, a police task squad was formed with the sole purpose of severing the head of the scrapping business.
All in all, facing a life with extreme limitations, some residents of Detroit, as a result of the unforgiving environment, have resorted to unorthodox methods of satisfying financial needs. This gave rise to many criminal empires, from drugs to gangs. But one enterprise stands out. Although there are efforts being made to eliminate the illegal scrapping business, an omen of a certain downfall can certainly be seen, for the city has created the perfect breeding ground for the operation known as illegal scrapping.