Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a essential role in reducing automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 further costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they find the stolen parts.

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

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each 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 last 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for a minimum of every week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the first offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and a minimum of double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in serving to convey reduction to folks directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that could be high enough that it is not worth submitting a claim.

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