Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital function in lowering vehicle 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they find 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 contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry 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 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last yr.

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

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy respectable used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the very least a week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at the very least double that for every additional time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vans and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a vital step in serving to convey reduction to people instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Someone carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be excessive enough that it's not worth submitting a claim.

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