Scrap Metal Act makes difference

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This article was published 11/07/2023 (819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Westman salvage operator is grateful for the anti-theft program placed on catalytic converters that was launched at this time, last summer.

The Scrap Metal Act, also called Bill 9, came into effect in July 2022, when the number of catalytic converters stolen from vehicles in Manitoba jumped by about four and a half times in one year, going from 336 in 2020 to 1,564 in 2021.

And the figures continued to climb. For the first five months of 2022, there were 1,248 claims, according to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

A catalytic converter helps remove harmful greenhouse gases, converting dangerous compounds into less-harmful substances before they’re released into the atmosphere.

It contains platinum, rhodium and palladium, which are three rare earth metals that have increased in value over the past decade.

Under the new legislation, someone who is trying to sell a converter to a scrap metal business must provide government-issued identification, a photograph of their face, description of the component and how they acquired the materials that may require a receipt.

Buyers cannot accept the material unless that information is provided and must keep a copy of the seller’s personal information.

The new regulations were a relief to Steven Jones, in charge of purchasing at Westman Salvage, who said there were times they turned people away.

“We had a list of people that we wouldn’t buy from because they couldn’t tell us where they got the converter,” Jones said. “So, I tried to weed out the people even before there was the Scrap Metal Act. But ever since, it’s been easier to maintain a clientele, alleviating anyone getting into trouble.”

Included in the Act that was passed last July was a pilot project in and around Winnipeg, which included engraving catalytic converters with the last eight digits of the vehicle’s vehicle identification number (VIN) as well as a splash of highly visible paint.

The idea to deter thieves with the engraving and the paint was a “made-in-Manitoba solution,” said Paul Johnson, the past-president of Winnipeg Crime Stoppers.

“When a bad guy slides underneath to steal the catalytic converter, all they see is this fluorescent yellow or orange paint and they know that it’s been marked, and that deters them to say, ‘if I take this off, I could get caught with it, or I’m going to have trouble selling it.’ So, what you’ve done is protect yourself, and that’s the whole idea,” Johnson said.

Comparing the numbers of thefts during the first six months of 2023 to the same time period for 2022, Johnson said there is good news.

“Provincially, when we look at numbers from MPI claims, we’re down about 70 per cent overall. And for the city of Winnipeg, we’re down 80 per cent when compared to the six-month period from last year,” Johnson said.

In Brandon, there have been several catalytic converter thefts, but the Wheat City isn’t seeing as many as in Winnipeg, said Sgt. Kirby Sararas, public information officer with the Brandon Police Service.

In 2021, seven catalytic converters were reported as stolen, in 2022 there were nine, and since the beginning of 2023, there has been one theft.

“We’re just not seeing the numbers that Winnipeg is,” said Sararas. “I think maybe because it’s a bigger city with more people, but where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Sararas said. “A lot of people become very creative in finding ways to get money and something that is of value, and this is definitely one.”

While the decrease in the number of thefts across the province means the anti-theft program is working, Johnson added, that Brandonites should be on alert when in Winnipeg.

“I don’t think Brandon’s had a huge issue from what I understand. But if somebody drives into Winnipeg to go shopping or to a game or something like that, odds are better that something might happen. We literally have video of people in their car, and someone just slipping underneath, coming out the other side and away they go,” Johnson said.

For the next phase of the “Save Your Cat” campaign and engraving initiative, Johnson said he will be contacting car dealers who belong to the Manitoba Motor Dealers Association (MMDA), with the goal of expanding into rural Manitoba.

Using grant money from the criminal property forfeiture process, which comes from the proceeds of crime, Johnson said they will purchase kits that will have an engraver, high heat paint, stickers, and information pamphlets, that they will provide to the car dealers.

And he cautioned people to remain vigilant.

“Right now, the numbers are good and thefts are down, but provinces around us have high numbers and we just don’t want to get complacent. We want to stay on top of it,” Johnson said.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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