Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft prices Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a crucial position in reducing car emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional costs.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National 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 group counted just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers across 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 bills have been launched this yr 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 situations a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reliable used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the first offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at the very least double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in helping bring relief to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not price filing a claim.

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