Los Angeles – The Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved an ordinance Wednesday that would prohibit unlawful possession of catalytic converters in an effort to curb the rise in thefts the city has experienced in the past five years.
ABC7 reported on the new ordinance, which was presented in April 2022 by Councilmen John Lee and Paul Krekorian and then-Councilman Mitch O’Farrell.
972 catalytic converters were reported stolen across the city in 2018. In 2022, the city reported almost 8,000 catalytic converters thefts – a nearly 728% increase just within the last five years.
“When crime data show this kind of escalation, I believe at this time we need to act,” Lee said.
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In an odd twist, Councilwoman Nithya Raman seemingly laid the blame on Toyota because they make the devices easy to steal.
Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez opposed the ordinance as well, citing that it would cause more harm than good, particularly to vulnerable communities. Apparently she believes that vulnerable communities are not victims of theft.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants.
California leads the nation in the number of converters stolen.
Under the ordinance, citizens can be fined $1,000 or be placed in jail for six months if they are found guilty of unlawful possession of an unattached catalytic converter.
