WESTLAND, Mich., April 9 (UPI) -- Forget electronics and jewelry, police in Westland, Mich., say used kitchen grease is the hottest new target for thieves.
Westland police allege Christopher Kind and Richard Tallent are part of a criminal operation that reaches from Detroit to Jackson, Mich., and is focused on the theft of kitchen grease, The Detroit News said Thursday.
The pair were arrested Tuesday after a grease disposal company employee blocked them in an alley behind a Westland eatery. The arrest came after a nearby eatery was robbed of nearly 1,000 pounds of grease, which had a street value of up to $160.
"They're criminals," Westland Sgt. Steve Borisch said of Kind and Tallent, who were arraigned Wednesday. "This is their livelihood."
Michigan Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Jennifer Holton told the News while used grease is essentially "garbage," there are food safety concerns to consider.
"Essentially, for us this is like waste, so it would be like people stealing garbage," Holton said.
"We look at it more through a food safety perspective, not a criminal perspective."
