Police chief’s warning for catalytic converter thieves in Fresno. ‘You will be arrested’

Exceptional Parents Unlimited has an outreach van its affectionately calls “Vinny.”

It serves as a traveling billboard for the nonprofit as it moves throughout the community.

Last year, someone stole the catalytic converter from the van, a theft that was both costly and inconvenient. The repair cost nearly $6,000 and was delayed because of supply shortages.

And a month later, someone tried again. The organization found tools left under the van.

Over the past few years, the 11 vehicles in the EPU fleet have been hit by catalytic converter thieves four or five times, at a cost of $15,000, CEO Lowell Ens said during a news conference at Fresno Police Department headquarters on Tuesday.

“It causes a lot of challenges for us,” he said.

The sentiment was echoed by executives with The Arc of Fresno and Madera Counties and United Cerebral Palsy Central California, both of which have had to hire security patrols to guard their fleets.

“This is a logistical and financial nightmare,” said Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell, who will propose legislation at Thursday’s council meeting that would make it illegal to possess detached catalytic converters in Fresno without proof of valid ownership.

Those in violation could face a misdemeanor charge, with a penalty of $1,000 and up to one year in jail.

Felony charges could be brought for thefts in excess of $1,000.

The city will also be partnering with Midas service centers to offer free VIN number etchings on catalytic converters. Typically, catalytic converters have no markings that allows them to be traced, making these crimes are difficult to solve, said Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama.

And currently, there is no way to easily charge someone with catalytic converter theft, short of actually seeing them with tools committing the crime.

The new ordinance would allow law enforcement to begin to ask questions, and create an additional level of accountability, he said.

Moreover, it puts would-be thieves on notice.

“You will be arrested,” Balderrama said. “You will be put in jail.”

With the the proper tools, catalytic converters can be stolen within a matter of seconds. This mostly happens overnight from parking lots and driveways, though thieves have been know to hit in broad daylight, even with security protocols in place. Thieves often target victims multiple times.

The converters carry precious metals that can be quickly sold for $100-$200.

But cost of repairs can be 10 to 20 times that, said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who said he supports the proposed ordinance and hopes it gets replicated across the state.

Doing the math, the monetary loses from catalytic converter thefts are in the millions of dollars each year, Dyer said.

Catalytic converter thefts numbers in Fresno

On average, there were 5.71 catalytic converter thefts each day in Fresno in 2022. That was an uptick from 2021, when there was just over 4 thefts each day.

Catalytic converter thefts did drop by 16% for the last six months of 2022, and are down more than 60% through the first part of 2023, Balderrama said. Currently, around two converters are being stolen every day.

The ordinance, if passed, would help get that number to its true goal.

“We want that number down to zero per day,” Balderrama said.

“None.”