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 components that play a crucial position in lowering car emissions.

The invention adopted 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 were very shocked 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck house owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even if they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

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

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy authentic used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the least every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they're caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on current cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping convey reduction to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that may be excessive enough that it is not value submitting a declare.

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