Continuing catalytic converter thefts prompt new proposed laws

EAST HARTFORD — Thieves stole catalytic converters from at least 30 school buses at two local transportation companies over the weekend, continuining a trend that has hobbled Connecticut school districts, businesses and individual vehicle owners and is prompting a renewed response from state legislators.

Bills introduced in the General Assembly’s current session would set criminal penalties for unlicensed possession of more than one detached converter and require insurance companies to cover replacement of stolen converters. A state law that became effective in July requires scrap yards to keep detailed records of converter sales, but police representatives in several departments say crooks easily skirt the law by selling hot converters on the black market, out of state or online.

In East Hartford, converters were taken from First Student at 68 Alna Lane and Autumn Transportation at 52 Oakland Ave., police said Monday. No arrests have been made, but detectives were going through video surveillance and other evidence, police spokesperson Officer Marc Caruso said.

The mass larceny follows converter thefts from a Torrington school bus lot earlier this month that delayed the start of school for two hours and thefts from several businesses in an industrial area of South Windsor.

Catalytic converter thefts have risen 1,215 percent nationwide since 2019 due to the soaring value of precious metals inside the pollution-scrubbing devices, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The average price per ounce of rhodium recently was $12,950; palladium was at $2,043; and platinum, $908.

Thieves get $50 to $250 per converter and they tend to target larger vehicles due to high ground clearance and the ease of sliding under for quick surgery with a batterypowered saw. Hybrid vehicles also are a major target, in part because the converters tend to be less corroded than those in other vehicles with equal miles.

Converter thefts, however, remain grossly unreported, according to NICB. Some victims don’t call police or insurers because the replacement cost ($1,500 to $5,000) is less than or only slightly higher than deductibles on many insurance policies. Other victims lack any coverage for the loss.

A bill before the legislature, introduced by Rep. Gary Turco, a Democrat from Newington, would require auto insurance policies issued or renewed in the state to cover the full retail reimbursement of a stolen catalytic converter, excluding the cost of the policy holder’s deductible.

Rep. Kara Rochelle, a Democrat whose district includes Ansonia and Derby, has introduced a bill that would require a license to possess more than one detached catalytic converter and establish as yet unspecified penalties for the unlicensed possession of more than one detached converter.

Other states have enacted or are considering laws to combat converter theft. This year, the NICB expects proposed legislation in at least 11 states to set or harden rules on scrap yards and increase penalties on those involved in the illicit trade, organization spokesperson Danielle Naspinski said Monday. At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, an Indiana Republican, introduced legislation meant to curb converter thefts by marking identifying information on the devices, addressing how the parts are purchased and strengthening enforceability of converter theft for local law enforcement.

Confrontations between armed converter thieves and vehicle owners have happened frequently in Connecticut, including two incidents this month in Bristol. Property owners interrupted thefts and in both cases, police said suspects displayed guns and threatened to harm the owners. Converter thefts in East Hartford had subsided recently, Caruso said this month before the recent incidents. The lag, he said, might have been related to the arrest of a suspected converter theft ring last August. Arrests included the owner of a local warehouse who was charged with trafficking and reselling stolen converters to recycling businesses in other states.

The top 10 vehicles targeted by catalytic converter thieves nationwide, according to Carfax, are: 1985-2021 Ford F-Series pickups; 1989-2020 Honda Accord; 2007-17 Jeep Patriot;1990-2022 Ford Econoline; 1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado; 2005-21 Chevrolet Equinox; 1997-2020 Honda CR-V; 1987-2019 Toyota Camry; 2011-17 Chrysler 200; and 2001-21 Toyota Prius.

In the Northeast, the ten most targeted vehicles are: 1985-2021 Ford F-Series; 1987-2019 Toyota Camry; 1989-2020 Honda Accord; 2007-17 Jeep Patriot; 1997-2020 Honda CR-V; 1998-2020 Subaru Forester; 2007-20 Subaru Outback; 1990-2022 Ford Econoline;1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado; and 19932020 Nissan Altima.