California Topped U.S. States in Catalytic Converter Thefts: NICB

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The catalytic converter thefts have witnessed significant increase across the U.S. since March last year, says latest report published by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Among U.S. states, California reported the largest number of theft incidents.

David Glawe, President and CEO of NICB noted that the ongoing continuous rise in the value of the precious metals contained within the catalytic converters has caused an increase in the number of thefts of these devices. There is a clear connection between times of crisis, limited resources, and disruption of the supply chain that drives investors towards these precious metals, he added.

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According to NICB study, the average thefts per month in 2020 stood at 1,203, as compared with 108 catalytic converter thefts per month on average in 2018 and 282 average monthly thefts in 2019. The top five states for catalytic converter thefts were California, Texas, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Illinois. The month of January reported the fewest number of thefts at 652 in 2020, whereas it skyrocketed to 2,347 in December last year.

Reportedly, as many as 18 states nationwide are seen evaluating potential legislative actions to curb the theft problem.