LOS ANGELES—The city council tentatively approved an ordinance March 21 that would prohibit unlawful possession of catalytic converters in an effort to curb the rise in thefts the city has experienced in the past five years.
According to the motion, which was presented in April 2022 by Councilmen John Lee and Paul Krekorian and then-Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 972 catalytic converters were reported stolen across the city in 2018. In 2022, the city reported almost 8,000 catalytic converters thefts, a nearly 728-percent increase just within the last five years, Lee said during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
“When crime data show this kind of escalation, I believe at this time, we need to act,” Lee said….