Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital function in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to 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, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy reputable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least every week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the first offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on present automobiles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance coverage usually does not cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it isn't worth filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could treat the issue as a mechanical concern and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman said Friday.