Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical function in reducing vehicle emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even if they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase legitimate used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than every week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at the very least double that for every further time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on present cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping convey aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not price submitting a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could treat the problem 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.