Bill to deter catalytic converter thefts signed into law - WQOW TV News 18
WISCONSIN (WQOW) - Governor Tony Evers signed a bill into law Thursday to crack down on catalytic converter thefts, and lawmakers who supported the bill are ecstatic.
"It's been a long time coming," said Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), who authored the bill.
Catalytic converters contain precious metals including platinum and palladium, which can bring in more than $500 at a scrap yard.
Senate Bill 408, now signed as 2021 Wisconsin Act 189, designates a catalytic converter as a proprietary article, which would make it easier to track.
Representative Moses said under the law, scrap dealers may purchase the converter if the individual selling it is at least 18 years old, provides a government-issued photo I.D., and provides documentation they lawfully possess the item.
The law also requires scrap dealers to maintain records of the sale including date and time of purchase, the seller's vehicle license plate, and a description of the proprietary article.
"When Minnesota passed their legislation to really help with this problem, we started seeing people come across the border," Moses said. "We saw in western Wisconsin the incidents of these thefts really go up. So I expect within the next year when this is enacted, I expect us to see quite a downtick as far as the number of catalytic converter thefts."
"It's a win for our Wisconsin citizens because it costs more in the long-run for our taxpayers to investigate these types of cases than it is to add an additional proprietary article to scrap yards and scrap recyclers that already have these mechanisms in place," said Representative Jesse James (R-Altoona), a co-sponsor of the bill.
Eau Claire police said there have been 42 reports of catalytic converter thefts so far this year in the city, and 169 in 2021.
While some scrap dealers said this law is a step in the right direction, others are unsure it will actually curb the crime, saying thieves are selling the converters through other avenues like Craigslist or Facebook for cash.
source: https://www.wqow.com/news/wisconsin/bill-to-deter-catalytic-converter-thefts-signed-into-law/article_b127839a-aa20-11ec-b5ed-bfbe81bbcc45.html
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