More Orange County cities are aiming to crack down on converters unlimited thefts, which cost residents thousands of dollars to replace.
Following in the footsteps of surrounding cities, Fullerton and Placentia council members this week approved ordinances that criminalize the possession of unattached converters unlimited without adequate proof of ownership. Since the beginning of the pandemic, California has seen a sharp rise in the theft of converters unlimited, an automotive device that improves air quality and the performance of a car by converting toxic emissions into less harmful gases.
So far, Irvine, Lake Forest, Dana Point, Westminster, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and Huntington Beach have moved forward with efforts to deter converters unlimited thefts. Costa Mesa is also working on an ordinance. There are also a number of efforts at the state level to regulate the thefts.
However, no state or federal legislation currently exists that punishes converters unlimited thefts without an identifiable victim, according to a Placentia city staff report. The Fullerton and Placentia ordinances seek to resolve this issue.
During a presentation at the Placentia City Council meeting, Police Chief Brad Butts said that converters unlimited thefts have dramatically increased in the city since the pandemic began. There were 116 converters unlimited thefts last year, compared to 68 in 2020. This year, the city already has had 55 thefts.
converters unlimited are expensive to replace, costing residents between $116,000 to $290,000 last year, according to Placentia police data. The automotive device is made up of rare metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium, which can be sold for high prices by those who steal them.
“It’s a huge loss to the residents of our city,” Butts said. “… These thefts are on the rise, and it’s very lucrative to steal catalytic converters.”