Catalytic converters have been highly targeted by criminals in recent times, with businesses and citizens alike affected by the theft of these vehicle exhaust components. Their resale value at Recycling & Scrap Metal Facilities have made them a sought after item, as the price of the precious metals used in their construction continues to surge. As the threat climbs, what legal steps have been taken to reduce this crime, and what can be done to prevent it entirely?
Catalytic Converter theft is a prevailing crime in our communities:
Throughout the summer, catalytic converter thefts have continued to plague businesses and residents across the entire country; instances have been reported every day, with multiple vehicles often targeted within the same incident or area, and often being committed by the same culprit(s).
In the middle of the night on July 29th, 2022, the Waterloo Regional Police service reported that unknown suspects had attended a commercial property parking lot, stealing four catalytic converters from vehicles within the business complex. This investigation remains ongoing, and Police have requested that anyone with information to provide it anonymously. (1)
On August 24th, 2022, Peterborough Police were called to an automotive dealership after it was discovered that catalytic converters had been stolen from several vehicles. It was reported that at some point between August 16th and 18th, nine vehicles had been targeted for their catalytic converters causing an estimated $50,000 in damages. Since the beginning of 2022, Peterborough Police reported that they have responded to 16 similar theft incidents. (2)
Just after midnight on September 25th, Oromocto Food Bank was a target of these thefts, as 2 individuals were seen on the property removing catalytic converters from the Food Banks’ delivery vehicles. “I had two trucks parked here, a van and larger truck, and they removed the catalytic converter from the van and they spent an awful lot of time trying to remove the catalytic converter from the truck. They weren’t successful, but they did a lot of damage underneath,” Jane Buckley, Executive Director of Oromocto Food Bank had stated. “It affects our pickups, our deliveries…So it does put a stop to a lot of the stuff that we do on a regular basis,” she mentioned. (3)
To give a sense of the severity of these crimes in New Brunswick, the Police have been investigating the thefts of 33 catalytic converters in 8 different local communities, since February 2021. (4)
What have Provincial Governments done to reduce these crimes?
Earlier this year, the Government of Manitoba passed Bill 9, the Scrap Metal Act & Regulation, as its comprehensive plan to curb the rising problem of metal theft in the province. Under the new framework, scrap metal dealers are required to record explicit details of their transactions, retain records for 2 years, and immediately provide them to a Peace Office – when requested. Cash transactions have also been forbidden for any transaction over $50, requiring a ‘paper trail’ that would ultimately lead to any individual selling metals over this amount. (5)
Furthermore, Criminal Property Forfeiture (CFP) in the province has provided grants to Winnipeg Crime Stoppers and Steinbach RCMP to continue to combat these thefts beyond the updated regulations. A program has been developed with this funding to engrave catalytic converters with the vehicle VIN number, so Police can track down the rightful owners and charge individuals for being in possession of stolen goods when they attempt to resell them. (6)
“The act and regulation will significantly reduce the theft of catalytic converters by disrupting resale opportunities for illegally obtained scrap metal”, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen had said. “We know we need to keep the pressure on catalytic converter thieves… We continue to encourage Manitobans to have vehicle VIN numbers engraved on catalytic converters to help disrupt the theft and resale of these parts.” (7) The Scrap Metal Act and its associated regulations & programs has caused thefts to drop dramatically in Manitoba, from a high of 353 in April of this year, down to 31 in August, and 19 in September. (8)
In the spring of this year, an amendment was made to the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation (MDRR) in British Columbia to help regulate the sale of catalytic converters that are not attached to a full exhaust system. This new amendment requires dealers to report each transaction, including seller information directly to Police on the day of sale. Mike Farnworth, British Columbia’s Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General, had stated, “We are changing the rules to better fight thieves who steal catalytic converters…these thefts create costs and consequences to the livelihoods of British Columbians and this change reduces the incentive to steal them in the first place.” (9)
How can these crimes be prevented in the first place?
To put things simply, our cellular security units and remote video monitoring service can detect and deter these crimes, before they happen.
To develop a comprehensive security plan for protection, our Logistics Team will conduct a site survey of your property to determine potential security risks, access points, visibility, and other critical details. Once the site survey is completed, our security units are then deployed and are live to monitoring within minutes via proprietary Cellular LTE data connections.
At our UL Video Monitoring Facility, our Remote Video Monitoring Operators proactively deter crime with voice commands, high-visibility LED strobe lights, and will immediately dispatch Police to mitigate threats and protect your property and the assets within it.
Once the security threat is contained, our operators will draft a comprehensive log report containing the timeline & details of the incident, including high-resolution images & video footage for your review. Alongside these detailed log reports, analytics & metrics, as well as live camera viewing capabilities & PTZ camera control are accessible through our proprietary syncroReports software platform – to keep you in the loop on your security.
Proactive measures from our Government to document & register the sale of precious metals for scrap, and increasing the ability for Police to enforce against these crimes has certainly curbed the rise in these crimes when implemented. However, deploying a proactive security strategy on your property is the most effective means to combatting the threat of catalytic converter theft – as stopping these crimes before they occur will prevent damage, repairs, & the costs associated with business disruption.
Resources:
- “Police investigating Catalytic Converter theft in Kitchener”, Waterloo Regional Police, July 20, 2022
- “Catalytic converters taken from 9 vehicles parked at Peterborough dealership” The Peterborough Examiner, August 25, 2022
- “New Brunswick food bank experiences theft of catalytic converter, halting deliveries”, Nathalie Sturgeon, Global News, September 29, 2022
- “New Brunswick food bank experiences theft of catalytic converter, halting deliveries”, Nathalie Sturgeon, Global News, September 29, 2022
- “Manitoba’s Scrap Metal Act aims to combat catalytic converter and scrap metal theft”, Recycling Product News, July 20, 2022
- “Manitoba’s Scrap Metal Act aims to combat catalytic converter and scrap metal theft”, Recycling Product News, July 20, 2022
- “Catalytic converter thefts dropping in Manitoba”, Kevin Hirschfield, Global News, October 7, 2022
- “Catalytic converter thefts dropping in Manitoba”, Kevin Hirschfield, Global News, October 7, 2022
- “British Columbia targets catalytic converter theft with updates to metal dealer regulations” Recycling Product News, March 15, 2022