Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a crucial role in reducing vehicle emissions.

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

“We had been very stunned on the amount 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional charges.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually 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 valuable metals they comprise.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to fight 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, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance 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 instances against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase professional used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at the 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 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 will require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a essential step in serving to deliver relief to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it's not price filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage may deal with the issue as a mechanical concern and just pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.