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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10699 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERSNo. 21-10699 October 19, 2021 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 1of 2 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS The purpose of this Informal Report is to respond to a request for information on Catalytic Converter Thefts, enforcement efforts, and a general overview of the current process in the City of Fort Worth. Catalytic Converter thefts have become a problem not only in the city of Fort Worth but nationwide as well. The ease of stealing them and the value of the precious metals contained in the converters make them an easy and valuable target. The converters do not have serial numbers or Vehicle Identification Numbers(VIN) which makes tracking the origin of the theft almost impossible. The below chart shows the number of Catalytic Converter offenses that the Fort Worth Police Departmentreceivedbetween January 1, 2021through September 30, 2021: As a result of the increase in Catalytic Converter Thefts the Fort Worth PD and the Tarrant Regional Auto Theft Task Force worked together to try and address the thefts. The partnership between the two agencies lasted 6 weeks and resulted in several arrest and valuable intelligence in identifying several people involved in the Catalytic Converters thefts.The results of the joint operation are listed below: Felony Arrest: 16 Felony Warrants:3 Catalytic Converters recovered: 69 approximate value = $34,000to $83,000 Misdemeanor Arrest:17Street Value of Drugs Seized: $3580 Recovered Stolen Vehicles:4 Vehicles Seized: 5 Consent to Search:1Seized Gun: 1 Citations Issued: 1FI/Office Interviews:24 Recovered Property:$1890Cash Seized as Evidence:$26,000 SUS’s Identified: 100 ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERSNo. 21-10699 October 19, 2021 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2of 2 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS This operation uncovered the sophistication of the crime rings involved in catalytic converter thefts and that this problem is not isolated to only Fort Worth or the North Texas Region. Several investigations showed that this issue is a nationwide problem and there was one case that had an international connection where the catalytic converters were being shipped out of the country. The Joint operationwas successful and helped identify numerous people involved in Catalytic Converter Thefts throughout the county. The offense for being in possession of a Catalytic Converter falls under the Occupation Code: Occupation Code 1956.203(b) soliciting purchase of a regulated metal at a location other than where material is produced as a by-product in the ordinary course of that business Occupation Code 1956.021 –acting as a metal recycling entity without registration. The actual offense is committed with a Sawzall tool and takes approximately 1 minute to cut from the vehicle. As we have adapted our approach in trying to identify which vehicle a catalytic converter comes from, the actors have changed to now using two cuts on the converter which makes it virtually impossible to identify which vehicles the converters are taken from. There are no current Federal Charges for the theft of Catalytic Converters however FWPD and the Tarrant County Auto Theft Task Force continue to share information to track prolific offenders, identify organized crews and target non-licensedbuyers of catalytic converters. One preventative step that has occurred across the country is the etching of VIN numbers or any other identifying information on the catalytic converters. Many cases go unsolved because there is no link to the catalytic converter and the vehicle it was taken from. Just like auto etching, this is a voluntary program that requires the participation from citizens. Currently, we are working with the Tarrant County Auto Theft Task Force and exploring preventative steps to helplimit the amount of catalytic converter thefts in our city. Ifyou have any questions regarding this information, please contact Chief Neil Noakes at 817- 392-4212. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS