Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a essential function in lowering car emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We were very shocked on the amount 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they find the stolen parts.

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

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade 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 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last yr.

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

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used gadgets. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial number and retain it for no less than every week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the very least double that for each extra time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a critical step in helping bring reduction to people instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be high sufficient that it's not value filing a claim.

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