On Friday the Board of Aldermen passed a bill that seeks to make it harder for brick thieves in the city.

Calling St. Louis the “Used Brick Capital of the World”, Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr., the bill’s sponsor, said that “brick rustlers” are more than a nuisance, but also a danger to themselves and others. He told the story of man, apparently a “brick rustler”, who was recently discovered by a group of children pinned under a pile of bricks that was once one of the strong red structures St. Louis is known for.

Bosley said new homes being built across the country are often built with bricks from St. Louis. The used bricks, which Bosley said sell for as much as 50 cents each, are taken — legally and illegally — from the deteriorating housing stock in the city. These old houses are often replaced with new homes covered in vinyl siding and far inferior in quality, said the alderman.

“These new houses you can kick your foot through the walls until they put on that brick veneer,” said Bosley. “But if you kick one of these old brick homes, you better call an ambulance first.”

Board Bill 311 requires every person engaged in the sale or purchase of bricks to have a valid city business license and a permit issued by the Director of Public Safety that is not more than 90 days old.