DA, police tackle catalytic converter theft prevention
Dec. 10—Over the last year, law enforcement agencies across San Joaquin County have been receiving an increased number of stolen catalytic converter reports, and now they are reaching out to local businesses to help thwart thieves.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar was in Lodi on Thursday to kick off her office's partnership program to quell these thefts.
Along with Lodi Police Chief Sierra Brucia, Salazar visited Tokay Recycling Center on Cluff Avenue and Go Green Recycling on Stockton Street, to discuss catalytic converter theft prevention and awareness.
"They're supposed to be partners with us," Salazar said. "Because what's good about working with business is, if they're doing the proper book keeping and they're seeing a particular pattern or behavior, this is going to let law enforcement form their investigative tools and find and apprehend these individuals, so we can prosecute them."
Salazar said the partnership is also is a deterrent, as thieves will not try to sell catalytic converters to businesses that follow the law and record transactions.
California Penal Code requires Core Recyclers or dealers in catalytic converters to keep written records of the place and date of each sale or purchase of the equipment.
The record must include the seller's name, signature, valid driver's license number or other California identification, as well as the vehicle license number, including the state of issue of the automobile used in transporting a catalytic converter. If the seller is a business, records must include their name, address and telephone number.
In addition, Core Recyclers or dealers must keep a written description of the catalytic converters purchased or sold, amount paid, identification numbers, if any, and a clear photograph or video of the part.
Businesses are also required to obtain a statement that a seller was the owner of the CC, as well as photo, video or fingerprint of the seller. Records are required to be kept for two years.
Employees at both Go Green Recycling and Tokay Recycling Center said the businesses will not even accept catalytic converters from people trying to sell them.
"There's no accusation that they're not legitimate businesses," Brucia said. "They're just our recyclers here in town. We're just trying to be proactive and making sure that we've communicated. Do you even know what to look for if someone comes in? If you don't know what to look for, you don't know if this could be a stolen converter."
Police department staff said that about 300 catalytic converters had been stolen in Lodi between Jan. 1 and Dec. 9. That's double the amount stolen in 2020.
Brucia said the cost to replace the part could be between $8,000 and $10,000 depending on the automobile. Toyotas tend to be targeted the most, as the materials used in the catalytic converters are more valuable than those used in other models.
Last year, Car and Driver, one of the more popular car enthusiast magazines in the country, reported that the platinum in some catalytic converters can be worth as much as $1,000 an ounce.
In addition, palladium and rhodium, both of which can be used in catalytic converters, were estimated at $2,300 per ounce and more than $16,000 per ounce, the magazine reported.
"There has to be a partnership between us and (the community)," Brucia said.
"We can work in partnership to maybe kind of combat this, and take an avenue away from these thieves. If these thieves don't have a place to sell them here in town, maybe they won't be in town stealing them. And that's a good thing."
One thing Lodi Police has tried to do to deter catalytic converter thefts is to partner with Sanborn Chevrolet and etch a serial number, vehicle identification number or driver's license, into the part so thieves can't sell it anywhere, and so business to which they try to sell the part can report it stolen.
Receipt of stolen property or grand theft results in a maximum three-year sentence in county jail if convicted.
Salazar said she kicked off the partnership program in Lodi because Brucia has been a leader among other chiefs in the county to bring catalytic converter theft awareness to the forefront.
She added the Lodi Police Department is also one of the leading community-oriented policing agencies in the state.
"They are very connected with their community and have and have these conversations," she said. "With us, Lodi was the perfect spot because they have that friendly neighborhood relationship with their business, and their businesses just respond well and say now that we know, we'll be on the lookout and we"ll work with you."
Tokay Recycling Center and Go Green Recycling were just two of 16 business in the county Salazar will be visiting. The District Attorney plans to visit 11 recycling centers in Stockton, two in Manteca and one in Lathrop over the next six weeks.
