Manitoba seeing fewer catalytic converter thefts

Manitoba is continuing to see a decrease in the number of catalytic converter thefts.

The province stated on Friday, since new legislative changes and law enforcement measures came into place earlier in the year a noticeable drop has been seen.

In March, April, and May — before the new measures — there were 280, 353, and 283 reported catalytic converter thefts each month for the three months respectively.

In August and September, reported thefts dropped to 31 and 19 for the two months.

One of the leading factors the province noted in the reduction was the introduction of the vehicle identification numbers (VIN) engraving program, which was implemented by Winnipeg Crime Stoppers.

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The province notes hundreds of vehicles have had their VIN engraved on their catalytic converters, adding the program will allow for proper tracing of the part back to the proper owner if someone tries to sell it.

“This would not have been possible without our partners representing 65 Winnipeg auto dealers and automotive service centres. They have all volunteered their time and shops at no charge to do their part to protect their community,” said Paul Johnson, president of Winnipeg Crime Stoppers.

“Over 500 converters have been engraved and marked to deter these thefts. We are not aware that any of these 500 converters have been a target of theft. Despite the numbers dropping considerably, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers encourages motorists to continue to take advantage of the Save Your CAT program to deter thieves and protect vehicles.”

Scrap metal dealers are also required to keep transaction records for two years under the Scrap Metal Act. The Act also prevents sales of over $50 to be made in cash.