Law to stop catalytic converter thefts in Oklahoma - KTUL
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Thieves are turning metal into money in Oklahoma, but two bills moving through the state capitol could help stop them.
Police are stretching their resources to stop thieves from stealing catalytic converters, but say it's difficult when anyone could be a target.
"It's not a new problem, it's an ongoing problem," said Broken Arrow Police Officer Chris Walker. "It's spiked here a year to two years ago when the price of scrap metal went up."
Thieves can sell one converter for hundreds of dollars, but for the car owner, it could cost up to $4,000 to replace.
"And it's a necessary piece of your car," Walker said.
Police in Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Catoosa, Muskogee, and others have all faced catalytic converter theft problems in the past year.
But Oklahoma law could be a hindrance in stopping the crime by making it only a misdemeanor.
"You write them a ticket and they're back doing it, you know, the same day," said Rep. Ross Ford (R-Broken Arrow). "It's been a problem for many years and there was just really a difficulty in classifying how we prosecuted those crimes."
Ford served on the Tulsa police force for over 20 years. Now, at the state capitol, he's introduced two bills to hopefully stop thieves, helping police and car owners.
"Hold the person that's actually stealing the catalytic converter responsible for their dirty deeds," he said.
The bill has already passed the House and now the Senate, and if made law, stealing something like a catalytic converter or tires off a car would be a third-degree burglary charge. Repeat offenders could get a felony, jail time, and a $5,000 fine.
Oklahoma already has a law for vehicular burglary if someone is stealing from inside the car, but this law would extend those charges to the outside of the car as well.
"If I'm underneath your car, I'm probably underneath there with the intent to do either harm or steal something," Ford said.
Oklahoma does have requirements for selling parts and metal to a scrap yard, but Ford says the law is muddy and confusing. He's working on a bill for next year's session to address that issue.
source: https://ktul.com/news/local/law-to-stop-catalytic-converter-thefts-in-oklahoma
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