Catalytic converter thefts continue despite law to prevent them, costing Mainers millions - WGME

STATEWIDE (WGME) -- Catalytic converter thefts have cost Mainers millions of dollars this year, despite a law aimed at preventing the sale of those stolen parts.

"The truck sounded like a typical truck without a muffler," Coastal Landscaping Owner Craig Wright said.

He says he recognized the sound right away.

"Somebody had crawled under the truck with a Sawzall and cut it," Wright said. "It takes three to five minutes to get rid of a catalytic converter."

The thieves only got away with one catalytic converter, but he says it was one too many.

"For one catalytic converter for a one-ton truck, $3,000 plus installation," Wright said. "And probably two-to-three weeks loss of the use of the vehicle."

His company isn’t alone.

"We came back from Thanksgiving and three trucks were unusable," Chace Campbell at Gnome Landscape said.

The Falmouth business was targeted twice in a one-month period.

"It's very frustrating. We’re just trying to keep guys employed here and run a good business," Campbell said.

Catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed across the country and in Maine.

While there’s no statewide data, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, for example, has received 26 reports so far in 2021. That's up 333 percent over 2020.

In August, Maine State Police recovered numerous stolen catalytic converters in northern Penobscot and southern Aroostook Counties. Police say the 10 people charged had sold over 1,000 converters and received over $190,000 for them dating back to December 2019.

Police say the estimated replacement cost of those 1,000 converters is over $2 million.

"What used to be someone might get $100 at a scrap yard for it, these are becoming $1,000," Falmouth Police Lieutenant Jeff Pardue said.

The increased prices are because converters contain precious metals that have soared in value. One is rhodium, which is currently valued at $11,500 per ounce, but was more than $29,000 earlier this year.

Under Maine law, anyone selling a catalytic converter to a scrap metal facility has to show identification and sign a statement swearing the part isn’t stolen.

CBS13 I-Team Reporter Marissa Bodnar: "From what we’re seeing, that doesn’t seem to be deterring the thieves."

Pardue: "Our experience is the folks running real legitimate businesses do adhere to the law and they’ve become great community partners with us. It’s the more covert operation that sells it more on the black market or in the less honest way. That’s often where we’re finding ourselves."

"When the price goes up, everybody and their brother is a catalytic converter buyer and you can sell your converters to somebody at Dunkin Donuts," Darryl Brown Jr., who runs an auto parts business, said.

Brown and other auto recyclers want to see the state crackdown on illegal operations.

"They need to regulate who's buying the catalytic converters, in my opinion," Brown said.

Lawmakers will consider a bill this upcoming session that would require sellers to also provide the VIN number the converter came from. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jim Dill (D-Penobscot) says he hopes it will be a starting point.

In the meantime, victims like Coastal Landscaping are investing in more lights and more cameras.

"We've probably spent another $20,000 to $25,000 to prevent theft," Wright said.

Coastal and Gnome are teaming up to offer a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people who stole their catalytic converters.

The best advice for consumers is to park in a garage, or areas that are well lit or have a lot of foot traffic.

You can also take more advanced steps like engraving your VIN right on the converter, marking it with a bright paint or installing a lock kit around it.

source: https://wgme.com/news/i-team/catalytic-converter-thefts-continue-despite-law-to-prevent-them-costing-mainers-millions

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