Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a critical role in lowering car emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very surprised at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra fees.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen components.

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

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 fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater 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 response to the National 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 many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of per week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance often does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be excessive sufficient that it is not worth filing a declare.

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