COLUMBIA, S.C. — Catalytic converters are one of the most stolen pieces of equipment from cars, Now, a new law is helping law enforcement crack down on the theft.
A new law signed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster only permits secondary metals recyclers to purchase used and detached catalytic convertors.
According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, for a business to now sell a detached convertor, they must show records or receipts which include the VIN of the vehicle it was removed from and date of the repair.
Over at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church, there's an empty parking lot, where their third bus usually sits. The church was targeted by thieves, who stole the bus's catalytic convertor.
Bynie Chapman with Trenholm Road United Methodist Church says this is the second time the church has been hit. "Just hard to believe it would happen again, especially they would be brazen enough, get under a bus and cut a catalytic convertor off, right out here by the road," Chapman said.
That bus now sits in the back parking lot at the The Muffler Shop of Columbia. The Muffler Shop of Columbia's manager, Angelo Smith, says people tend to target Volvos and Hondas. He says it's the platinum inside the convertors they want, which they can melt down and sell.
"What a catalytic convertor does, it burns and re-burns the gas to allow it to come out of the vehicle pretty much clean," Smith said.
"On a weekly basis we are seeing about 20 of them being stolen," Smith said. "We're just having so many of them ... we're just having a hard time getting those convertors."
Smith says since 2019 the price of a catalytic convertor has gone up by 40%. These thefts are not only affecting car repairs, law enforcement is also feeling the impacts.
"In 2016, we had two catalytic convertors stolen -- two. In 2020, 663. This year alone, we've had 290 stolen," said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
Sheriff Lott says if you are in possession of a catalytic convertor, you must provide documentation to prove it's yours. If not, you can face up to three years in prison.
According to Lott, thieves can sell your catalytic convertor for upwards of $400, but it could cost you up to $5,000 to have a new one installed.