While catalytic converter theft rates have plummeted since the summer as a result of legislative changes, law enforcement efforts and a partnership with Winnipeg Crime Stoppers, the Manitoba government is continuing efforts to protect Manitobans from those who are profiting from this type of theft, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said as a new vehicle identification numbers (VIN) engraving program was announced today in southeast Manitoba.
“We are seeing significant success in reducing catalytic converter theft because of changes to legislation, efforts by law enforcement and the work of Winnipeg Crime Stoppers,” said Goertzen. “But we know we need to keep the pressure on catalytic converter thieves. We continue to encourage Manitobans to have vehicle VIN numbers engraved on catalytic converters to help disrupt the theft and resale of these parts.”
Statistics from the Winnipeg Police Service show reported catalytic converter thefts have plummeted since the Scrap Metal Act and regulation came into force. Reported thefts of 280 in March, 353 in April and 283 in May have substantially fallen to 31 in August and 19 in September. Steinbach RCMP are now promoting a new VIN engagement effort for residents of southeast Manitoba, the minister noted.
The catalytic converter engraving program project implemented by Winnipeg Crime Stoppers has contributed to these efforts. With an engraved VIN, the rightful owners of recovered catalytic converters can be traced and individuals with illegally obtained converters can now be charged for being in possession of stolen goods. To date, over 500 catalytic converters have been engraved.
“Winnipeg Crime Stoppers is pleased to have played a part in the joint effort to address the catalytic converter thefts,” said Paul Johnson, president, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers. “This would not have been possible without our partners representing 65 Winnipeg auto dealers and automotive service centres. They have all volunteered their time and shops at no charge to do their part to protect their community. Over 500 converters have been engraved and marked to deter these thefts. We are not aware that any of these 500 converters have been a target of theft. Despite the numbers dropping considerably, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers encourages motorists to continue to take advantage of the Save Your Cat program to deter thieves and protect vehicles.”
Under the new Scrap Metal Act framework, dealers must record the details about transactions related to scrap metal. Transaction records must be kept for two years and provided to a peace officer when requested. Cash transactions are not permitted for any transaction over $50.
