Green Bay Reporter

Quad Communities Crime Stoppers and the Kimberly High School Car Club are teaming up to combat catalytic converter thefts. 

According to WBAY News, this event will have multiple benefits, from combating thefts to giving students some real-world experience on working on cars. 

"It is really cool to be a part of something as big as this and just because it's an ongoing issue you've been hearing about for the last couple of years," Ryan Tedford, senior, Kimberly Car Club member, said in an interview with WBAY News.

2021 saw an increase in catalytic converter thefts by 293%. Catalytic converters are made of precious metals which makes them an attractive target to thieves.

The marked increase in these thefts have prompted a response from state legislators. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, State Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) has introduced Assembly Bill 415 and the identical Senate Bill 408 which would classify catalytic converters as a proprietary article under which sales are regulated by law.

Under the new legislation, individuals selling catalytic converters for scrap would need to be at least 18 years of age and would be required to present identification and proof of ownership at the point of sale. Scrap dealers would be also required to keep sales records and report sellers trying to sell catalytic converters without proof of ownership to law enforcement.

"We had people trickling over from Minnesota, cutting catalytic converters off anytime a day, middle of the night, people are at work, people are sleeping," Moses said, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. "They're very brazen as far as when they'll do it."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of certain precious metals rose sharply leading to a rise in catalytic converter thefts. According to the The National Insurance Crime Bureau, the rate of catalytic convertor thefts rose by 325% in 2020 compared to 2019.