ABQ City Council approves bill aimed at deterring catalytic converter theft
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Albuquerque City Council approved an ordinance aimed at making it harder for someone to sell a stolen catalytic converter for scrap metal.
In a 7-2 vote Wednesday, City Councilors approved the “Secondhand Catalytic Converter Purchase Ordinance.” The ordinance will require secondhand metal dealers to:
- Record a photo ID from anyone selling a catalytic converter not attached to a car
- Note the year, make, model and VIN of the vehicle the converter was removed from
- Determine the converter presented for sale is consistent with the vehicle info
- Show verifiable documentation (e.g., title, registration) that the seller has some sort of ownership interest in the vehicle the converter is from
- Keep the records and the converter and make them available for inspection by law enforcement
The City of Albuquerque says 1,300 catalytic converters were reported stolen in the city just last year, alone. Thieves get hundreds of dollars for the converters but vehicle owners often pay thousands to replace the part.
Councilors Brook Bassan and Dan Lewis, Districts 4 and 5, voted no. All other councilors voted yes.
Click here to see the full discussion of the ordinance during the Albuquerque City Council meeting Wednesday night.
