With copper approaching $4 a pound, law enforcement officials thanked Gov. Rick Scott as they attended a semi-private bill-signing ceremony Wednesday that increases the penalties for thieves cashing in on stolen metal.
The bill, HB 885, was one of four bills that Scott signed Wednesday during a brief meeting with law enforcement officials in his Capitol office.
We all had a good session, Scott told the officers. We got a lot of things done for law enforcement.
The event, initially closed to the media, was opened with only a few media questions allowed.
The bills, which were approved by Scott in April, are:
HB 885: Prohibits purchase of specified restricted regulated metals property without certain proof of seller's ownership. Effective July 1.
HB 95: Creates Fallen Heroes Family Tax Relief Act, which exempts from taxation homestead property of surviving spouse of first responder who dies in the line of duty. The bill would go into effect if Amendment 2 on the November 2012 ballot, the Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouse of Military Veteran or First Responder, is approved by voters.
HB 947: Makes it a 10-year mandatory sentence for a person previously charged with a felony who is convicted of another crime this time while in the possession of a firearm. Effective July 1.
SB 278: The 911 Good Samaritan Act, which is designed to reduce the fear of arrest for drug possession by people calling 911 when someone is having a drug overdose. The intent is to reduce delays in calls for emergency. Effective Oct. 1.
I think each one brings certain elements that benefit the citizens but also men and women who have served in law enforcement and given so much, said Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson.
The relief of the fallen heroes --Florida unfortunately led the nation last year in law enforcement injuries and in-the-line deaths, Adkinson said.
The theft of metals is needed due to the rise in price and the difficulty intracking the criminals, he said.
Due to the numerous abandoned properties in the state because of foreclosure, many thefts are not reported for months, Adkinson said.
Someone would come in, strip out the copper (there are thousands of dollars of copper in some of these residences), and it makes it very difficult for us to solve these crimes, Adkinson said.
Officials from Hillsborough County noted that thieves have been known to climb cell towers for copper, and a couple of years ago someone mounted a sheriffs repeater tower to strip the copper.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
