Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a crucial function in lowering automobile emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We have been very surprised at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

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

The insurance group counted just 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

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

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase legitimate used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least every week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and at the least double that for each extra time they are caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

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

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

Insurance usually doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible which may be excessive enough that it is not value submitting a declare.

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