Turner on catalytic converter measure: 'This is another tool in our toolbox to drive down crime in our city'

In an effort to curb increasing catalytic converter thefts, Houston City Council approved a measure on Wednesday (May 4) that limits the possession of a severed catalytic converter to those with proper identification such as metal recyclers, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported.

According to KTRK, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the amendment will help in the city's fight against crime. 

"This is another tool in our toolbox to drive down crime in our city," Turner said, the station reported.

KTRK reported that the new municipal law will go into effect in 45 days.

The mayor said that Houston Police Department (HPD) figures show that the law enforcement agency fielded nearly 4,000 catalytic converter theft complaints within the first three months of this year, per the station.

"That's a 123% increase from the same period in the previous year," Turner said, according to KTRK.

Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that would-be thieves prize catalytic converters for the three precious metals inside them – platinum, palladium and rhodium.

COVID-19 induced supply shortages and growing worldwide demand for the auto part have factored into the uptick of prices for the metals, according to the station.

HPD recently launched a new auto safety initiative to address the increase in catalytic converter thefts, per KTRK, Houston Daily reported.

"What we have done, is invited several people from the community to bring their vehicles," Commander Caroleta Johnson with HPD's South Central Patrol told the station. "And have their catalytic converters, painted and etched. The purpose is to prevent and deter the catalytic converter thefts."

Among the hundreds of catalytic converter-related incidents that occurred so far this year, a theft attempt in late March resulted in the shooting death of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Almendarez.