Agenda Item Wording:
title
First reading of the Ordinance 2023-03 new Visalia Municipal Code Section 9.24.060 to be added to the City of Visalia Municipal Code establishing regulations prohibiting the unlawful possession of a catalytic converter in the City of Visalia.
body
Deadline for Action: 3/20/2023
Submitting Department: Police Department
Contact Name and Phone Number: Chief Jason Salazar, 559-713-4215, jason.salazar@visalia.city ; Captain Andrew Swarthout, 559-713-4035, andrew.swarthout@visalia.city ; Lieutenant Mike Verissimo, 559-713-4154, mike.verissimo@visalia.city ; Sergeant Clay Moffett, 559-713-4240, clay.moffett@visalia.city ; Jim Koontz, City Attorney, 559-372-2400, jkoontz@prlawcorp.com
Department Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council approve Ordinance 9.24.060 to be added to the City of Visalia Municipal Code establishing regulations prohibiting the unlawful possession of a catalytic converter in the City of Visalia.
Summary:
In the City of Visalia and throughout the nation, the theft of catalytic converters has risen dramatically. The following table depicts the increase in catalytic converter thefts reported to the Visalia Police Department over the past five years.
Number of Catalytic Converter Thefts
Year
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Totals|101010|39
21
288
326
One of the factors contributing to the rise in catalytic converter thefts is the increase in the value of precious metals. Catalytic converters contain metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium, which makes catalytic converters an attractive target for criminal offenders. Furthermore, a catalytic converter is easily removed from a vehicle with the use of a reciprocating saw, which is a tool easily operated by criminal offenders. Once the catalytic converter is removed, offenders transport the converter to a scrap metal dealer and sell it for cash (ranging from $200-$1,200 per catalytic converter). The scrap metal dealer then extracts the precio...
Click here for full text