Minnesota Looks to Crack Down on Catalytic Converter Thefts

Catalytic converter for the Ford F53 Motorhome chassis.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate voted Thursday to make it harder for thieves to sell stolen catalytic converters, a crime that has skyrocketed across the country in recent years, according to an Associated Press report.

Thefts of the pollution control devices from cars and trucks more than quadrupled from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020, and jumped dramatically again in 2021 to over 52,000, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. A major reason is the sharp rise in prices for the precious metals that go into the converters, such as rhodium, platinum and palladium. And experts say many thefts aren’t covered by insurance, so they go unreported.

Minnesota ranks third in the country for catalytic converter thefts behind California and Texas, according to the state Department of Commerce. The agency isn’t sure why Minnesota ranks so high. But experts testified in hearings last month that the parts are easy to steal, easy to sell, there is little risk of being caught, and even less risk of being prosecuted.

Read the full Associated Press report.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/minnesota-looks-to-crack-down-on-catalytic-converter-thefts/