Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a vital role in reducing car emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the amount 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 may face additional charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months 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 cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy official used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least per week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the first offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and at the least double that for each additional time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on present automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a crucial step in helping bring aid to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it's not value submitting a claim.

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