Discussion:
Theft of catalytic converters have plagued the metro area in recent years and Shakopee has been no exception. In 2021, Shakopee police took ninety-six reports of catalytic converter thefts. The cost to victims is very expensive, especially since many of our thefts involve larger trucks and vans in our industrial park.
These are extremely frustrating crimes because when we do catch someone with a detached converter, it's almost impossible to prove what vehicle it came off of. The department has held several events where we etch and spray paint converters for the public. While this has been well received, we continue to see these thefts occur and victims left to pick up the tab. This makes it necessary to take additional steps. We have looked at what other cities are doing and the proposed ordinance appears to address an issue we face on traffic stops in particular.
The proposed ordinance makes it a Misdemeanor to possess a detached catalytic converter in the city of Shakopee unless it was recently purchased or the owner can prove they own the car it came off of. St. Paul recently passed this ordinance and after speaking to the Scott County chiefs, I feel this ordinance will be county-wide in the near future.
This does not prohibit someone who has a vehicle that no longer runs from taking their converter off and selling it. The purpose of this ordinance is to address those traffic stops where an officer stops a suspected thief and there are multiple converters in the vehicle. People who are doing legitimate recycling business will not be impacted. However, this ordinance allows us to seize converters where the ownership can't be proven and cite the person in possession.