Gap in metal recycling law allows criminals to sell catalytic converters without ID as reports of thefts surge
As police agencies across British Columbia report a spike in stolen catalytic converters, there are new calls to strengthen laws that could further deter would-be thieves from going after the hunks of metal for their re-sale value.
Data from Vancouver police shows that between January and June of 2021, there were 195 reports of catalytic converters being stolen, more than double (92) the number reported in the same period last year.
Police call the surge in thefts a “huge problem.”
“Catalytic converters are completely unregulated,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. “There’s no way to trace it back and identify whether it’s been stolen.”
Unlike with regulated metals, such as copper wire, scrap metal yards aren’t required under B.C.’s Metal Dealers and Recycling Act, passed in 2011, to require identification from sellers of catalytic converters, and to report those sales by end of day to law enforcement.
It’s a loophole that Alberta closed in its own law last year.
“It just seems obvious that we should do that,” said Sterling Arndt, the owner of OK Tire’s East Vancouver location.
Arndt explained that thieves with a saw see an opportunity to make “quick dollars” because of the precious metals found inside the parts, which help clean vehicle emissions.
Dov Dimant, the longtime owner of Vancouver’s Capital Salvage Metal Recycling, called the thefts “acts of desperation” driven by the potential of earning up to four figures for high-value converters.
Dimant said his business’ longtime practice has been to ask for and record ID from customers selling catalytic converters, even though the law doesn’t require him to do so.
“Generally, people that make the rules aren’t quite in touch with industry,” Dimant said.
He added that there’s “no reason,” given the current spike in thefts, why the loophole shouldn’t be closed.
Both Vancouver police and Port Coquitlam city council agree.
Earlier this year, the Vancouver Police Board, citing 2,154 thefts across the Lower Mainland in 2020, passed a resolution asking the provincial government to amend the law to make catalytic converters a regulated item, requiring reporting.
And Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West told CTV News council has had discussions with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, who’s also the local MLA, about addressing the gap.
“It’s an issue that requires their urgent attention and nothing should be off the table,” West said.
In a statement, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said it would “continue to work with police and assess the responsiveness of current legislative, enforcement and program tools to deal with emergent criminal trends.”
Vancouver police also questioned whether closing the gap would be sufficient to deter would-be criminals.
Addison said police, along with other cities and organizations, are exploring whether converters could be marked or tagged with a number to help further deter theft and to trace them if and when they’re stolen.
“We’ve got to stay ahead of the criminals. We can’t be slow to react,” West added.
The Vancouver Police Department recommends vehicle owners try to avoid becoming a target for catalytic converter theft by parking in a secured lot, if possible, or alternatively, in a well lit area.
And Addison advised people shouldn’t hesitate to call 911 if they hear or see something unusual: “If it’s 2 o’clock in the morning, and you hear the sound of metal grinding, that’s probably a clue,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.