Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a critical function in lowering car emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said in a police video taken Thursday as officers had been pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance trade group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase official used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for no less than per week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the first offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and not less than double that for every additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in serving to convey aid to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it's not value submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage might treat the issue as a mechanical concern and just pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.