City Council approves catalytic converter legislation

In an attempt to curb catalytic converter thefts, City Council on Thursday passed new regulations for auto salvage shops and additional penalties for those caught with the stolen parts.

Under the legislation, which was approved with a unanimous vote, anyone handling auto parts as part of their business must collect documentation from the owner linking them to the vehicle and its parts.

The record-keeping requirements are similar to rules that already apply to jewelry dealers and pawnbrokers.

In addition, people found guilty of stealing catalytic converters would be subject to a $2,000 fine for each violation and up to 90 days in prison. The same penalty would apply to anyone buying or selling converters without the required documentation.

Councilmember Cindy Bass, who introduced the legislation last month, said in a statement that her intention is “to de-incentivize the sale and purchase of not just stolen catalytic converters, but other stolen precious metal auto parts.”

“I really hope this is a first step to curtailing this issue in the city of Philadelphia,” Councilmember Anthony Phillips said after Thursday’s vote.

In the original legislation, the penalty was up to 5 years incarceration; however, the bill was amended following a hearing last week, during which Francis Healy, special advisor to Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, said enforcing such a sentence for a city code violation might be “problematic.”

A spokesman for Mayor Jim Kenney said Thursday that the administration is “reviewing the final version of the legislation.”

The police department expressed support for the bill, and Healy said they believe it will have an impact in reducing the catalytic converter trade.

He suggested lawmakers go further by mandating auto dealers upload information to an electronic database to better track potentially stolen parts.

A driver whose catalytic converter has been stolen will notice a loud roar when they start their car.

The part controls the vehicle’s emissions, and the device contains precious metals – some of which are worth more than gold – that make it an attractive target for thieves. Replacing the converter can cost victims, on average, from $1,000 to more than $3,000.

As of Dec. 13, more than 5,700 converters had been reported stolen this year in Philadelphia, compared to about 3,100 on the same date last year and 858 in 2020, according to data provided by the PPD.

In early November, federal authorities arrested 21 people in nine states who they say were part of a nationwide ring that stole converters and sold them to a metal refinery.

Locally, several men took about two dozen catalytic converters in October from delivery vans parked at a Giant Food Stores warehouse in Southwest Philadelphia. Police estimated the damage at more than $31,000.