After spiking sharply in late 2022, catalytic converter thefts plummeted throughout the first six months of 2023, according data released by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Auto-part thefts began climbing during the pandemic and reached a peak of more than 900 per month in late 2022, according to an analysis by Crosstown L.A. But by June 2023, theft reports fell to 457, the lowest number since last summer.
LAPD Sergeant Juvey Mejia told Crosstown L.A. there are numerous reasons for the decline, including more attention being focused on combating catalytic converter thefts, and new laws targeting buyers of the stolen parts.
State lawmakers approved three bills in 2022 to better regulate catalytic converter sales. Although L.A. City Council approved an ordinance in April creating new penalties for possessing catalytic converters without proof of ownership, the law didn’t go into effect until June, five months after the downward trend began.
Despite the steep drop, auto-part thefts are still currently higher than they were before last year’s spike. Before 2020, there were never more than 300 thefts reported in any single month.
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