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![handle is hein.crs/govedxx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service
SInforming the legislative debate since 1914
Addressing Catalytic Converter Theft
Thefts of catalytic converters, a key part of the emission
control systems of internal combustion vehicles, are on the
rise. The devices, which are installed not only on passenger
vehicles but also on buses, motorcycles, and commercial
trucks, use valuable metals to reduce pollutants emanating
from the engine. Replacing a stolen catalytic converter can
cost a passenger vehicle owner up to $3,000. These thefts
have generated interest among policymakers in what role
the federal government can play in addressing the issue.
Some congressional offices are examining how existing
federal motor vehicle theft statutes might be amended to
address this issue.
Thefts Are Rising
Press accounts abound about the increase in catalytic
converter thefts since the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic. National crime data collected by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation do not specifically track catalytic
converter theft, but the National Insurance Crime Bureau
(NICB) reports that the number of stolen catalytic
converters increased nearly every month in 2020. NICB
reports that 2,347 catalytic converters were stolen in
December 2020 alone, up from 652 such thefts in January
2020. A total of 14,433 catalytic converters were stolen in
2020, according to NICB data, compared to 3,389 such
thefts in 2019. NICB theft data are based on a review of
submitted insurance claims, so they likely undercount the
actual number of catalytic converter thefts.
What is a catalytic converter? A catalytic
converter is a device used to reduce emissions from a
vehicle's exhaust system. It contains a catalyst for
chemically converting pollutants in exhaust gases (e.g.,
carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and
oxides of nitrogen) into less harmful compounds (e.g.,
carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen gas).
Precious metals such as palladium, rhodium, and
platinum are commonly used as the catalysts. Catalytic
converters were first widely introduced in U.S. cars in
1975 to comply with Environmental Protection
Agency regulations limiting toxic emissions.
Catalytic converters, the sale of which may net thieves $25
to $500 depending on the type and model of vehicle they
were attached to, have become targets for theft for several
reasons. During the pandemic, many cars and fleet vehicles
remained parked in the same spot for extended periods
since people were not driving as much due to pandemic
restrictions. These vehicles might be attractive targets for
thieves because people were not paying attention to them
and because the value of the precious metals they contain
has risen sharply. Rhodium, platinum, and palladium are
by-products from mining nickel and copper; they are
sourced largely from mines in South Africa and Russia, but
also from Zimbabwe, Canada, and the United States. With
the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting supply chains even
while demand has been strengthened by stricter car
emission rules around the world, including in China and the
European Union, prices for these three metals doubled
between March 2020 and June 2021. Platinum now sells for
$1,100 per ounce; palladium more than $2,500 per ounce,
and rhodium more than $23,000 per ounce. Catalytic
converters in a typical passenger vehicle may contain a total
of about 2/10ths of an ounce of these three metals, while
those in larger vehicles and trucks may have up to an ounce.
Catalytic converters are relatively easy for criminals to steal
because they are accessible from the underside of a vehicle
and can be sawed off with no specialized equipment
(Figure 1). Converters can be removed from a vehicle in as
little as 90 seconds. Accounts indicate that thieves are
stealing catalytic converters from unattended cars rather
than stealing cars and stripping them for parts in another
location. Thieves sell stolen catalytic converters to scrap
yards that in turn sell them to recyclers who strip them of
their precious metals.
Figure I. Catalvtic Converter
Source: KY3 Staff, CATALYTIC CONVERTERS: Springfield [MO]
Police Department releases list of vehicles most targeted, April 15,
2021, https://www.ky3.com/2021/04/15/catalytic-converters-
springfield-police-department-releases-list-of-vehicles-most-targeted/.
Some vehicle owners are having vehicle identification or
license plate numbers etched into their catalytic converters
with the idea that this could deter theft or aid investigations
by making them easily identifiable or traceable. Others are
installing anti-theft devices that make it harder for someone
to cut off a catalytic converter.
Federal Ex erience with Curbing Motor
Vehicle and Car Parts Theft
Federal laws to deter vehicle and vehicle parts thefts were
enacted in 1984 and again in 1992 to address rising theft of
https://crsreports.congress~gov
July 6, 2021](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govedxx0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)