Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft costs Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a vital role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers have been 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 may face extra expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched 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 lots of instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase legit used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the least every week in original 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 no less than double that for every additional time they're caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible which may be excessive enough that it is not value submitting a declare.

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