Catalytic converter thefts up compared to 2020, EPS says
Theft of catalytic converters in Edmonton has already surpassed 2020 numbers.
According to EPS, 1,626 thefts of the exhaust emission control devices were reported to police in 2020. In the first three quarters of 2021, 1,701 catalytic converter thefts have already been documented.
“We’re trying to work collaboratively with other services throughout the province. We’re sharing intelligence and communicating regularly to try and figure out how to combat this,” Edmonton Police Service Det. Daniel Leach, said to media.
An experienced thief needs only five to 10 minutes to cut off and steal a converter, a release read.
“The unfortunate thing is, is that they’re a dime a dozen really,” Leach explained.
“Every time we arrest one person, put them in jail… somebody else comes in and fills their place. It’s such a lucrative business for them at this point.”
Leach told CTV News Edmonton, criminals will often find a way to get around the provisions put in place, but noted it does slow them down.
“Much of the time these thefts are driven by drug addictions and similar issues, so I would suggest there’s a huge component of lifestyle behind that, which needs to be addressed as well.”
“It’s a crime of opportunity,” he added.
In November of last year, new provisions were implemented to the Protecting Alberta Industry from Theft Act to make it more difficult for criminals to sell stolen metal for scrap, according to police.
“The vehicle exhaust repairs associated with replacing catalytic converters are costing Edmonton citizens and insurance companies millions of dollars every year,” Leach said.
To protect your vehicle from a catalytic converter theft, EPS has a few suggestions:
- Avoid parking your vehicle in places where thieves can discreetly crawl underneath
- Engrave the converter with your VIN number
- Have the converter welded onto the vehicle
- Invest in a special clamp or cage for the converter
- Invest in a car alarm that is sensitive to the vibration of the converter being sawed off
“Until we see the issues that drive the crime to begin with dealt with, and some effective punishment at the back end for those that persist, it’s going to be a troublesome issue for us for a while," Leach said.
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.