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In an effort to curb a rise in catalytic converter thefts, the Omaha City Council is considering additional requirements for buying and selling the automotive device.
Council heard testimony Tuesday on the proposal, which supporters said could make a meaningful difference in combating catalytic converter thefts.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants in a vehicle’s exhaust.
Thefts have increased as the price of precious metals used in the converters, such as platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, have gone up.
Kyle Steffen, a lieutenant with the Omaha Police Department, said that between 2016 and 2019 Omaha averaged 55 catalytic converter thefts per year. In 2021, 1,368 converters were stolen, and in the first two months of 2022, thefts averaged 155 per month.
The proposal discussed Tuesday won’t completely end the thefts, said Councilman Vinny Palermo, who helped draft the ordinance.
“But it’s going to give the police department some teeth they desperately need to take the next step for these individuals that they know are participating in illegal activity,” Palermo said.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants in a vehicle’s exhaust gas. Thefts of the devices, which contain precious metals, have increased across Nebraska.
The council is slated to vote on the ordinance next week. If passed, it will require catalytic converter sellers to provide a vehicle identification number or some form of documentation to show where the converter came from.
“That will curb the market drastically because the people who are out there stealing these catalytic converters — maybe four, six, seven in a night — they’re not going to have vehicle identification numbers available to them,” Steffen said.
The ordinance would also qualify the converters as “regulated metals property” that would be monitored much like other property through the police department’s Leads Online electronic tracking system.
Sellers in violation of the ordinance could face a $500 fine, six months in jail or both.
Omaha is far from the only jurisdiction seeking to slow the theft of catalytic converters.
State. Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha has introduced a bill in the Legislature that aims to prohibit the sale of stolen converters.
It would require those who buy used catalytic converters to record the vehicle identification number, year, make and model of the vehicle the converter was originally in. It also would require the devices be purchased by check sent via U.S. mail and that the converter be kept in the condition it was purchased in for five business days.
Lathrop’s bill, Legislative Bill 994, is scheduled for a Wednesday afternoon hearing before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.
Last year, the Lincoln City Council strengthened its laws in an effort to crack down on the thefts.
The Lincoln Journal Star reported that the council adopted revised regulations that, among other aspects, requires catalytic converter buyers to report each purchase directly to the police department, including the make of the vehicle the part belonged to.
Omaha Duchesne's Lia Murray, left, hugs Omaha Marian's Katy Foley after Murray won the 100 Yard Backstroke during the finals of Nebraska state swimming at the UNL Natatorium on Saturday. Foley came in 2nd.
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jwade@owh.com, 402-444-1067
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Jessica Wade covers breaking news, crime and the Omaha zoo. Follow her on Twitter @Jess_Wade_OWH. Phone: 402-444-1067
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Omaha has seen a dramatic increase in catalytic converter thefts. A new ordinance approved by the City Council on Tuesday aims to reduce the thefts.
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A host of new regulations intended to reverse a dramatic rise in catalytic converter thefts will go into effect in the coming week.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants in a vehicle’s exhaust gas. Thefts of the devices, which contain precious metals, have increased across Nebraska.
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