Calgary council considers bylaw changes to discourage catalytic converter theft
The City of Calgary is considering changes to its business licence bylaw in the effort to reduce catalytic converter theft.
Theft of the emission control car part have continued to rise in the city, up 16 per cent for the start of 2023 when compared to the same period last year.
"It's extremely costly to folks and it's extremely inconvenient, and we see it going up," said Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld.
The bylaw will prohibit businesses from taking in damaged converters and prohibit damage to any markings on the valuable car part.
It will also require wreckers and salvage businesses to keep a record of the vehicle identification number (VIN) and description of the vehicle the part came from.
Buying them without collecting the proper info will also be prohibited.
If the new regulations pass, the fine will triple to $3,000.
"You can see it makes it more difficult for people who would be dishonest and i think those are the types of loops we need to close," Neufeld says.
However, one major metal recycler says the changes are flawed and will only serve to drive the business further underground.
"Most people that buy them now don't even have a license to buy them, and then they're packing them up into a box," said Eric Grand-Maison, owner of Big House Converters. "They're shipping them out to a company out of city or out of province."
Grand-Maison says despite being the biggest metal recycler of its kind in the city, no one from council has spoken with him about the problem, despite repeated invitations.
He says more regulation and licensing requirements are needed, but it needs to happen across the industry or thieves will simply figure out the soft jurisdictions and take their business there.
Grand-Maison says there appears to be easy ways around the proposed bylaw.
"None of the converters are marked in the first place, and we see thieves where they just get a random VIN number from anyone that's just like a dead VIN," he says.
The report on the proposed changes can be found online here: https://pub-calgary.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=24481
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.