Leduc introduces $1,000 fines to curb catalytic converter thefts
The City of Leduc has made an amendment to its Business Licence Bylaw in an attempt to curb catalytic converter thefts.
Anyone found to be in possession of an unattached catalytic converter can now be fined $1,000, unless they have a valid business licence for an automotive repair or supply business.
“(Theft) hurts so many of our charities, volunteers who are trying to do good work in our community,” Leduc Mayor Bob Young told CTV News Edmonton. “And once the converter has been stolen it means they can’t use the vehicle until it’s been replaced, and then it’s a significant hit to them financially.”
People who are not covered under a business licence but have a legal reason to be in possession of an unattached catalytic converter can apply for a free permit at the Leduc RCMP detachment.
Young says the city based the bylaw off existing ones in St. Albert and California that targeted other kinds of items, but he believes this is a first-of-its kind bylaw in Canada that deals with catalytic converters.
He added that Leduc has seen an 82 per cent increase in catalytic converter thefts this year, but up until now it has been a difficult crime to prosecute.
“One of the frustrating things for our law enforcement is that even though you catch someone who has some catalytic converters, there’s no way of identifying them, so there’s no way to say that they’re stolen,” Young said.
“We’ve had several stories where someone has been stopped and has had several converters in the back of their truck, but again because we can’t prove that they’re stolen, not much we can do.”
Leduc has made efforts to curb the thefts in the past by providing engravers to local automotive businesses so that shops could engrave the VIN number of a vehicle onto the catalytic converter, but Young said it hasn’t been as effective as the city would have liked.
He’s hoping the new bylaw will be the tool that turns the tides. Young says the fine attached to the new bylaw is more than thieves can get by selling the converters.
“I believe they get about $400 for the metals that are in there, so we’re hoping that a $1,000 fine will discourage it.”
Young says he’s hoping to see other municipalities implement similar bylaws.
“There’s been a lot of interest from other communities, and hopefully other communities will adapt this bylaw, and maybe this is a crime that we can really have an effect on.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.