Two years of persistent catalytic converter thefts prompt legislative bills

Bills before state legislators aimed at cracking down on catalytic converter thefts would require anyone selling one to provide a receipt as proof of ownership. Buyers would be required to keep a record of the exchange for up to two years after purchase.

The latest versions of House Bill 1860 and Senate Bill 2279 would require payments for catalytic converters to be made by check. And under HB 1860, both the seller and buyer of a catalytic converter would have to be licensed or face a Class C felony charge. If a seller is unable to provide proof of ownership the potential buyer could no longer go through with the purchase and must report the attempted sale to police.

A catalytic converter, the key component of a vehicle’s exhaust system, is a canister underneath the body of a vehicle usually located between the engine and muffler. It’s typically encased in stainless steel to prevent corrosion and contains precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium.

An increase in thefts in recent years has proven costly to vehicle owners and insurance companies, with repairs ranging between $1,000 to $3,000.

In 2021, the Honolulu Police Department recorded about 2,270 catalytic converter thefts and 23 arrests.

“This is something that really hurts working families,” said Rep. Jackson Sayama (D, Palolo-St. Louis Heights-Kaimuki), who introduced HB 1860.

The theft of catalytic converters is reminiscent of about 10 years ago when copper wiring was targeted by thieves who traded as much of it as they could strip for cash.

Supply chain issues hinder repairs and add to the catalytic converter theft problem, said Ricky Leones, owner of Kaneohe Auto Care.

“We couldn’t even get anything ’cause everybody was buying them like crazy,” Leones said. “This year it’s actually been pretty good.”

On Wednesday, mechanics at Kaneohe Auto Care replaced a catalytic converter that was stolen from a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The part alone cost $1,500, and the owner luckily was insured for the part and labor, Leones told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as the repairs were underway.

Over the past two years, Leones said he’s replaced more stolen catalytic converters than he can count.

“The (person) who doesn’t have insurance is the one who is hurt the most because they gotta pay out of pocket,” Leones said. “That’s a few thousand dollars.”

In his experience, Leones said the Toyota Prius had been the most targeted car for catalytic converter thieves because they have higher amounts of precious metals.

But recently, thieves seem less particular about what type of vehicle they steal from, he said.

Catholic Charities Hawaii had eight catalytic converters stolen from its fleet of passenger buses last year, Rob Van Tassell, president and CEO of the organization, wrote in testimony supporting SB 2279.

In several instances the thieves also damaged other parts, adding to the repair costs, Van Tassell wrote.

“The repair expense has added additional cost burden to our Transportation Services program, which has struggled financially during the pandemic,” wrote Van Tassel.

Sayama said catalytic converter thefts coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and added more hardship to victims.

“When families were really digging into their savings, they were struggling with catalytic converters,” Sayama told the Star-Advertiser.

“The issue has skyrocketed nationwide,” said AAA’s government affairs specialist Amanda Gualderama in written support of SB 2279. “On Oahu alone, the Honolulu Police Department has received more than 1,800 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2020.”

Removing the part is quick and simple for the thieves who have the right tools, Mike Mishima, vice president of DTRIC Insurance, told the Star-Advertiser.

“All they need is a pretty simple reciprocating type of saw that they can pick up at any hardware store,” Mishima said. “If they use that, probably within a minute, they can remove the catalytic converter.”

Michael Kitchens, the founder of the Facebook group Stolen Stuff Hawaii, said in written support of HB 1860 that catalytic converter theft has been persistent.

“When thieves steal the cats off of a vehicle, they damage the operation of it and increase the noise generated to the point where driving the vehicle is a serious issue for health and safety of both our environment as well as the people around us,” Kitchens wrote.

He added that the cost and time to repair the damage causes “untold heartbreak and disruption” in victims’ lives.

HB 1860 generated support from 18 individuals and agencies, including HPD, the state Department of Transportation and prosecuting attorneys from Maui and Hawaii counties. SB 2279 attracted support from the state attorney general and Honolulu’s prosecuting attorney.

DTRIC Insurance is following both bills, and strongly supports them, Mishima said.

“If anything, it will be a deterrent,” Mishima said. “It may not totally prevent people from doing it, but I think it’s a start.”