Governor Abbott signs bipartisan law to combat catalytic converter thefts

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) -Governor Greg Abbott signed a bipartisan law this week that aims to crack down on the rising number of catalytic converter thefts.

Senate Bill 224 now known as the Deputy Darren Almendarez Act named after the late Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Almendarez, who lost his life last year while trying to prevent a group of thieves from stealing his catalytic converter, strengthens penalties for such thefts and provides prosecutors with the flexibility to treat them as organized crime.

Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise across the country, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which reports a staggering increase of over 1,200% since 2019.

With the average catalytic converter costing thousands of dollars, the allure of precious metals like rhodium, palladium, and platinum contained within has attracted sophisticated theft rings operating across different regions.

Judge Edward J. Spillane, a municipal judge in College Station says the Bryan-College Station area has seen its fair share of crimes dating back to the start of the pandemic.

“We recently had one [theft], a group that got arrested. The average catalytic converter is worth $10,000, and there have been very sophisticated theft rings that have targeted the area,” said Judge Spillane.

Judge Spillane emphasized the seriousness of repeat offenses.

“In many instances of catalytic converter thefts, it is not the perpetrator’s first offense. Similar to other theft charges, the penalties are significantly increased, particularly for those with prior theft convictions,” Judge Spillane said.

Sen. Carol Alvarado, one of the bill’s key authors, emphasized the organized nature of these thefts.

“This type of activity has now become almost like a gang activity, very well organized, and it is hitting everybody. It’s certainly a crime that doesn’t discriminate,” said Sen. Alvarado.

The new law, which took effect on Monday, also seeks to address existing loopholes in the purchase and sale of catalytic converters. These converters contain valuable precious metals, specifically rhodium, palladium, and platinum. The prices of these metals have soared, with current values reported by KITCO.com as follows:

Rhodium: $12,300

Palladium: $1,784

Platinum: $940

Despite the high value of the metals contained in catalytic converters, thieves often receive only $50 to $250 per converter when selling them to recycling facilities.

Additionally, the law grants law enforcement agencies enhanced authority to question individuals suspected of possessing multiple converters.

“We’re giving law enforcement the tools that they need so that when they stop somebody, they can ask questions. Here’s what was happening before. They might pull somebody over for speeding or other types of misconduct, and they might have multiple catalytic converters in their vehicle. And that wasn’t a crime,” said Alvarado. “They couldn’t question them. They couldn’t do anything. So, this bill gives law enforcement the authority to question, to investigate, and it also gives prosecutors more flexibility on what they can charge them with.”

Under the provisions of the bill, the theft of a catalytic converter can result in various charges based on the incurred loss. Misdemeanor charges apply to losses under $2,500, while losses exceeding $2,500 are considered state jail felonies.

“People are losing their abilities to get to work, to function because it does take a while to get that catalytic converter replaced due to supply chain issues. It’s very expensive, and it has been hurting people across our state,” Alvarado said. “Now, people are gonna think twice about it {stealing} whether they live here or they’re crossing state lines to commit this crime because our laws are pretty stiff when it comes to that theft.”

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