Pallet Thefts - Scrappers Radar

Just curious what your thoughts are.

We stack pallets outside our business. We sometimes recycle for $ or reuse. We did this for years and zero were taken without permission. About a year ago we had about 60 outside and offered them for free to one person who had a friend who also wanted some. We said fine take what you want. I guess word got around and probably five different people showed up within 2 days and they were gone.

Now I guess that got us on the "scrappers" radar. Since then we have had different people come up and ask and we sometimes say yes take them or no don't. A few months ago on a Saturday a guy comes up in a truck and wants to take the pallets we have outside. I told him we were saving them. He says "Oh OK I always like to ask before I go taking anything, because you never know." On Monday we notice our stack of pallets is gone. We check the cameras and sure enough the same guy came back on Sunday and loaded them all on his truck.

I decided against reporting him or anything like that, but his bridge was burned. Recently he comes again and asks. I did not mention anything about seeing him take the others I just told him no we are saving them. He gives me the same line "I never take anything without asking" yadayada. So the next day he comes again. I see him on camera going to the front door. I'm just like great why is he back. He knocks, stands out there for a little bit then goes back to his truck. A minute goes by and he hasn't left the parking lot. I went outside and he's there loading pallets. He was almost in his truck when I went out and actually took off with a couple in his truck. Before getting in his truck I think he said "Oh you were going to use these".

Ok end of story. That was long. We've seen him on our cameras weekdays and weekends patrolling the other businesses. I would guess he is picking up more than just pallets. Makes scrappers look bad.