Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a important position in decreasing automobile emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area 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 have been pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they discover the stolen elements.

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

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to fight insurance 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 more than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reputable used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the very least per week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at least double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

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

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could deal with the problem as a mechanical problem and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.