Manitoba carving away at catalytic converter thefts with new ID program
An engraved converter will not be accepted at a scrap dealer
Vehicle owners in Manitoba are being invited to get their vehicle identification numbers engraved onto their catalytic converters, as the province takes another shot at cutting thefts of the devices.
A new program announced Monday, called Save Your Cat, will involve etching the ID number onto the part, which will also be marked with high-visibility paint.
An engraved converter will not be accepted at a scrap dealer, creating a deterrent to those inclined to steal and sell them, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release.
Catalytic converters control exhaust emissions to reduce pollutants, but they have been a target for thieves because of an increase in the price of the metals they contain. Converters contain small amounts of platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Catalytic converters are underneath vehicles and can be quickly cut away by thieves. They are then sold and exported out of the country, after which the precious metals are extracted.
The Save Your Cat program follows up on rules slapped onto scrap metal recyclers in Manitoba in July 2022. The rules require recyclers who buy old converters to record the details of every transaction, to keep the records for two years and to provide them to law enforcement when asked.
That had a quick effect, with an 80 per cent drop in the first six months of 2023 compared to 2022 in Winnipeg and a 70 per cent drop provincewide, according to police.
The new program is a bit of a copy of one launched in April by the RCMP in Surrey, B.C. There, the seller must show proof that they are the registered owner of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed.
In Winnipeg, about 70 auto shops are offering the engraving service at no cost to owners when the vehicle is brought in for other service work, according to police. The program's website lists several locations in other parts of Manitoba as of Monday.
Meanwhile, Crime Stoppers has doubled the cash reward in July and August — up to $2,000 — for information on anyone committing converter thefts or purchasing stolen catalytic converters.