Bernalillo County is working to stem the market for stolen catalytic converters. The Commission passed an ordinance Tuesday evening regulating secondhand purchases of the valuable car part.
Nationwide, reports of catalytic converter thefts increased by more than 1,200% from 2019 to 2022, according to the National Automobile Dealers Associations. The exhaust system part is made of rare metals — the prices of which NPR reports have increased since the pandemic.
In response to the uptick, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller signed a city ordinance last month to slow the trade of stolen converters by increasing reporting requirements. Co-sponsor, Commissioner Eric Olivas, said the county’s passage of a similar rule “closes the net.”
“So, we’ve got the city, the county and the state all speaking the same language, saying in unison, ‘We’re not going to tolerate this,’” he said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
The county ordinance requires scrap metal yards to extensively document used catalytic converter purchases. The records must include information from the seller’s government-issued ID as well as a photo and thumbprint of the individual. The metal dealer must also confirm which vehicle the part was removed from and that the seller owns it. They must then hold onto the part for at least 15 days.
Dealers who violate the rules can be fined or face jail time. Still, Olivas said he knows policy deterrents can only go so far in curbing the thefts.
“It’s not going to stop overnight, but I think this is just an example of really trying to work together with our partners to make it harder to commit these crimes,” he said.
The ordinance goes into effect on May 25.
