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The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Affiliation on Wednesday voiced help for a invoice to clamp down on catalytic converter theft that the state Legislature handed on Tuesday, sending the measure to the governor’s desk to doubtlessly be signed into legislation.
Salisbury police Chief Thomas W. Fowler, the affiliation’s president, stated the group “totally helps the proposed laws to convey extra accountability to metallic sellers who select to absorb catalytic converters. We’re completely happy that legislators labored so swiftly to get this invoice to the Governor’s desk and we recognize them contemplating our enter throughout the course of.”
Fowler stated the theft of converters has “develop into a significant issue and by requiring sellers to report important info it should hopefully scale back the occurrences of those thefts.”
The invoice requires scrap metallic patrons to just accept gross sales solely from individuals who current proof of identification in addition to a invoice of sale for the converter, or different authorized doc demonstrating possession.
It additionally requires scrap metallic patrons to maintain detailed information of converter transactions, together with a vendor’s identify, deal with, and phone quantity, in addition to the license plate variety of the automobile used to convey the converter to the metallic yard. Consumers should flip over the information to police upon request.
The invoice requires test funds for all converter gross sales that exceed $250 or that embrace a minimum of three converters, amongst a number of different provisions.
The laws now heads to the governor’s workplace. Republican Charlie Baker is leaving workplace on Wednesday after two phrases and Maura Healey can be inaugurated Thursday.
The invoice’s passage comes amid a wave of converter thefts. The pollutant-reducing gadgets, featured in practically all fashionable automobiles, comprise treasured metals which have surged in worth, making them a preferred goal.
In June, police in Cambridge stated they obtain reviews about lacking converters practically daily, whereas Pittsfield police indicated that some companies have suffered thefts at an “astounding” charge.
Boston police stated lately that three New Bedford males had been going through costs stemming from a converter theft from a parked automobile in Roxbury on the morning of Dec. 27.
The three males had been arrested shortly earlier than 4 a.m. in a automobile that contained 4 catalytic converters, police stated.
This fall in Watertown, police introduced an progressive strategy to curb such thefts, partnering with a neighborhood Toyota dealership and signal firm to create a stencil to spray-paint the phrases “Property of Watertown Police” onto converters.
“Our hope is that this can be a deterrent when somebody slides underneath your automobile to chop the catalytic converter off,” Lieutenant James O’Connor stated in a video selling the initiative. “It is going to actually work within the after-market sale, the place they create it to a spot to promote it and the individual would see ‘Watertown Police.’”
Most thefts contain “older mannequin” Toyota Prius automobiles, police stated on the time.
“We’re coping with about eight to 10 stolen ‘cats’ per week,” Toyota Service Director Rodney Dukes stated within the video. “Hybrid autos have among the greatest catalytic converters as a result of we’re attempting to maintain this automobile at zero emission as finest as doable.”
Materials from prior Globe tales was used on this report.
Travis Andersen will be reached at [email protected]. Observe him on Twitter @TAGlobe.
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