Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a vital position in decreasing car emissions.

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

“We had been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if 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 dear metals they include.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to fight insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year 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 many instances a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy authentic used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of every week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the first offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and no less than double that for every additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could 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 may require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a crucial step in helping carry aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be high enough that it is not value submitting a claim.

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