Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a vital function in decreasing vehicle 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 Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said in a police video taken Thursday as officers had been pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

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

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where 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 requirements for scrap dealers that purchase legitimate used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at least every week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and no less than double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a essential step in serving to deliver reduction to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it's not price submitting a declare.

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