Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical position in reducing vehicle emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We had been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers were pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck house owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry group that works to fight insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase professional used devices. They must mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on current cars and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a critical step in helping carry relief to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be high sufficient that it isn't worth submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection may deal with the issue as a mechanical problem and simply pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.