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Maine bill aims to reduce catalytic converter theft

Precious metals in the car part attract thieves.

AUGUSTA, Maine — State Sen. James Dill, D-Old Town, put forth a bill this session aimed at deterring thieves from taking catalytic converters off of vehicles in Maine.

Last August, NEWS CENTER Maine reported a bust of a catalytic converter crime ring in Penobscot and Aroostook Counties — Dill’s home turf — that netted 10 suspects and more than 1,000 converters stolen from cars.

The exhaust parts contain precious metals like titanium and range from $150-$1,500 in value.

“It is getting a be a huge, huge problem,” Dill said. “So, there’s good support for trying to do something with this.

If LD 1749 became law, sellers would need to provide a government-issued ID,  their address, and the vehicle’s VIN to which the parts belonged. The buyers — typically recycle facilities or scrap yards — would then be required to record each seller’s information.

William Bell, executive director of Maine Auto Recyclers, testified in support of the bill on Tuesday in front of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation. He said the new regulations would add work for his businesses, but he also wants these illegal transactions to stop.

“We can accept this as long as the bill is made to be truly effective for law enforcement,” he said to the committee members.

Dill hadn’t included any punishment changes for offenders when he filed the bill, but he was adamant that he would welcome penalties increased as part of this legislation.

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