2 years after catalytic converter law passed, thefts back on the rise
Data show that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again in the Twin Cities.
Watch CBS News
Data show that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again in the Twin Cities.
The men were allegedly operating to transport the converters across state lines.
Minnesota lawmakers passed a new law that creates penalties for unlawful sales and possession of catalytic converters.
Days after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill aiming to crack down on catalytic converter thefts, new data shows which vehicles are most likely to be targeted by thieves.
Minnesota ranks third in the country for catalytic converter thefts behind California and Texas, according to the state Department of Commerce.
"There are real people who are impacted," said Rep. Ruth Richardson, DFL-Mendota Heights, the bill's sponsor. "These thefts are hurting Minnesotans' pocketbooks as the replacement cost can exceed $2,000 or result in a total loss in the vehicle."
Some parents in the Osseo school district got notices Monday that their child's bus could be late because of thefts over the holiday weekend.
Authorities say two Minnesotans led police on a high-speed chase in western Wisconsin after they were seen stealing a catalytic converter.
In a laboratory on the U of M campus, researchers are using complex equipment to find a solution to a complex problem.
Officials in Carver County say 10 catalytic converters were stolen in the span of a week earlier this month.
