Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing 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 important role in lowering automobile emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said in a police video taken Thursday as officers have 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 will face further expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to fight insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reputable used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least a week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and at least double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on present cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in helping carry reduction to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't value submitting a declare.

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