Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital function in decreasing car 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers were 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 large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater 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 line with the National 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 invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be 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 packages to stamp numbers on present cars and vans and make it easier 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 individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it's not worth submitting a declare.

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