TEMPLE, Texas — People living in Temple reported 100 catalytic converter thefts last year. State lawmakers eventually passed H.B. 4110 last year to try and curb those thefts but people continue to experience theft.
Unfortunately, there is only so much people can do to protect themselves.
H.B. 4110 attempts to deter criminals from stealing catalytic converters by making them extremely difficult to sell to a metal recycling company. Under the new bill, the seller must provide the metal recycling entity:
"(1) the year, make, model, and vehicle identification number for the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed; and (2) a copy of the certificate of title or other documentation indicating that the person has an ownership interest in the vehicle..."
The bill went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021. Temple PD received 76 reports of catalytic converter thefts before that date and only 24 afterwards.
One U-Haul location in Temple had seven catalytic converters stolen over the first five months. Employee Andrew Davis told 6 News the thefts kept their vehicles out of service for months.
"We had a lot of trucks that had to go in and we had to order catalytic converters for each specific truck so it took one to two months turnaround sometimes," Davis said.
Davis said the thefts stopped in the middle of 2021 and they haven't had an issue since.
Still, the Temple Police Department has also seen 11 thefts happen in 2022 with seven of those happening in February. One of the thefts even happened to 6 News.
Temple PD recommends parking in a well-lit area, etching the vehicle VIN number on a person's catalytic converter, and covering the converter with a protective device.