Greater Sudbury Police is warning residents of a considerable increase in the theft of catalytic converters across the city.
The message comes after a 38-year-old man who police had already arrested previously for the theft of a catalytic converter was arrested Jan. 16 in connection to multiple thefts of more catalytic converters.
Greater Sudbury Police officers responded to a call at 10:40 p.m. on Jan. 16 for a theft in progress on Montague Avenue.
The caller said a man wearing dark clothing could be seen lying under a parked truck, attempting to cut out the catalytic converter.
When officers arrived, they went down the laneway where the man had been seen, and found two catalytic converters in a snowbank. The person responsible for removing them was no longer there.
The officers followed the path they believed the man took when he was fleeing the scene, and they located a vehicle with two people inside. The vehicle was being driven very slowly down Montague Avenue in what appeared to be an attempt to locate the two catalytic converters that had been left behind, said police.
The officers were able to identify the individual in the passenger seat as a man previously arrested for theft of a catalytic converter.
The officers located the vehicle in the parking lot of an establishment on Kathleen Street. The passenger of the vehicle matched the original description provided, and when he exited the vehicle, he was arrested.
Officers searched the vehicle and found multiple tools commonly used to remove catalytic converters.
The man arrested is charged with theft under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, two counts of mischief to property, possession of break-in instruments and failure to comply with release order.
While at police headquarters, he was charged with further thefts of catalytic converters. He attended Weekend and Statutory Holiday (WASH) Court on Jan. 17 to answer to the charges.
From June 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020, Greater Sudbury Police said they received 52 reports of thefts of catalytic converters. This is a substantial increase in comparison to the 12 reports of thefts of catalytic converters reported in the same time period in 2019.
The stolen catalytic converters are sold to scrap yards because they contain precious metals.
“Crime prevention is a shared commitment and as these incidents are happening more frequently we are urging business owners to ensure that safety measures are in place to help safeguard businesses, including additional lighting, security systems, video surveillance equipment, and, if possible, physical presence or patrols after hours,” said police in a news release.
