BOSTON — A new bill on Beacon Hill aims to curb catalytic converter theft in Massachusetts by not only cracking down on the people who sell the stolen car part, but on those who buy them, too.
“Let’s face it, someone comes in with a catalytic converter, [buyers are] not required to ask where it came from,” State Rep. Steve Howitt said.
The Republican lawmaker from Seekonk filed H.4722 this spring. The bill, known as “An Act relative to the theft of vehicle catalytic converters,” would change the way catalytic converters are bought and sold at licensed junkyards, second-hand dealers and repair shops.
“The aspect of my bill…is to create a chain of custody,” Howitt said. “You go on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and there are people that are constantly saying, ‘We buy catalytic converters,’ and they’re not licensed. That’s an area where I think law enforcement could be a little bit more aggressive.”
The proposal would require licensed buyers to keep detailed records, including the name and address of the seller, a copy or picture of their photo ID, and images or records proving the seller’s ownership of the catalytic converter. The buyer would be required to pay the seller with a check, not cash.
“It also allows the police departments to go in and review the books to see if there’s someone who comes in every week with [a catalytic converter],” Howitt said.
Catalytic converter theft is surging across Massachusetts, according to police data obtained by Boston 25:
- Boston Police received 224 reports of catalytic converter theft in 2021, almost a 400 percent increase from the 46 complaints made in 2020. There were only 28 reports filed in 2019.
- The number of catalytic converter thefts reported to Worcester Police nearly doubled in two years, jumping from 77 in 2020 to 133 in 2021.
- Cambridge Police went from having no reports in 2020 to 99 the following year.
“Over the past three years it’s gotten progressively worse,” Cambridge Police Deputy Superintendent Pauline Wells said.
Tom Fahy, a mechanic at MacKenzie Motors in Brighton, said his shop was hit by a catalytic converter thief two months ago. He said employees are now scared to leave customers’ cars in the parking lot overnight.
“We only had the one case but it’s only a matter of time before they take more,” Fahy said. “We’re afraid to leave vehicles out overnight.”
Howitt said he’s also a victim of this trend. A couple years ago, Howitt said his Ford F-250 was stolen, and the catalytic converter was removed.
“Unfortunately, [the bill] puts the onus on [legitimate businesses]. It’s very difficult to regulate the non-honest businesses out there that aren’t licensed,” Howitt said.
Fahy said any law that makes it harder for thieves to turn around and sell stolen catalytic converters is a good thing.
“The problem I think is the people buying the converters. If you do something to stop them from buying them, there will be no market for them, and it will stop,” Fahy said.
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