Title
Amending Chapter 280 of the Legislative Code related to catalytic converters.
Body
SECTION 1
WHEREAS, thefts of catalytic converters have been rising dramatically in the city of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, this crime targets unsuspecting victims who often park their vehicle in an open and accessible place to include the street, alleyway, commercial and/or private lot; and
WHEREAS, catalytic converters are targeted for theft because they are on the exterior of cars and accessible and because they contain some high value metals that can be sold for scrap; and
WHEREAS, the average cost of replacement of a catalytic converter ranges between hundreds to thousands of dollars per vehicle; and
WHEREAS, the cost of this crime not only weighs heavily upon the victims but also upon the city itself; and
WHEREAS, the costs to the City include the resources that must be directed to try and combat this problem from both the Department of Safety and Inspection and the Saint Paul Police Department; and
WHEREAS, catalytic converter theft cases are challenging for investigators because catalytic converters are quickly and easily removeable from vehicles making it difficult to apprehend the person committing the crime and Federal law does not require auto manufacturers to mark catalytic convertors with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) making them less traceable to the vehicle of origin; and
WHEREAS, in 2021 the Minnesota legislature established a catalytic converter theft prevention pilot program that provides funding for law enforcement agencies to offer vehicle owners the opportunity to have their catalytic converters permanently marked with identifiers; however, there is no evidence to suggest that this pilot program has deterred catalytic converter theft in the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul wishes to restrict this criminal behavior by prohibiting the possession of a catalytic converter that is not attached to a motor vehicl...
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