Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft fees Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a crucial function in lowering automobile emissions.

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

“We were very surprised at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 will face additional fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final year.

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

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy authentic used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for not less than a week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and no less than double that for each extra time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in helping carry relief to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it isn't value filing a declare.

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