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Video shows two suspects stealing a catalytic converter from a car near Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Richmond, California last week.

Looks like they took off in the Artist formerly known at Prince mobile. Probably not a good idea to conduct operations in such a recognizable vehicle.

The owner is stuck with a multi thousand dollar repair.

This is a huge problem here in the tri valley.

Iran would cut off hands and end the problem overnight. Woke USA is a catalytic converter thief’s paradise.

So just a little less expensive than a parking ticket, but clearly more hassle.

The part that is stolen is worth less than the $950 so it is only a misdemeanor. The cops ain't even gonna look at it as a crime worth pursuing.

BayArea says

Iran would cut off hands and end the problem overnight.

Iran wouldn't care about the pollution, so no catalytic converters at all. But yeah... soft on crime just means more crime.

Misc says

The part that is stolen is worth less than the $950 so it is only a misdemeanor.

How is the part that is stolen valued? Is it the resale value of the stolen part? Is it the replacement cost to the owner? Is it replacement cost plus the installation cost? I'm assuming plenty of catalytic converts will cost well north of $1000 to replace.

I had a friend whose converter died (or maybe it was stolen, I'm not sure). Anyway, he brought his car into California legally when he moved here. It was a non-California car. The catch was that it's actually illegal to sell the non-California replacement in California, but his car required the non-California one. He wound up having a friend in Oregon buy it for him (might as well skip the sales tax!) and then re-ship at great cost to him in California. Needless to say, that was a full $1000 just for the part and shipping.

I'm sure the thief did the calculations. If the part was worth more than the $950, they would have found a way to steal the entire car because the penalty would've been the same.

This way, nope, just a misdemeanor.

In CA, your replacement catalytic converter must be qualified and approved for use in CA.

Cost to replace can be in the ballpark of $3-5k for common models.

Dang, that is expensive.

I'm sure the value of the used catalytic converter that was stolen would fall under the $950.

I guess it would be up to the DA to determine what the charge would be, if the property owner can get the police to do anything, which I doubt as a liberal judge would simply rule it a misdemeanor regardless.

The criminals seem to have it all gamed out. The criminals probably only got a few hundred for it.

I guess things have gotten so out of hand with thefts from car dealerships as well as from any vehicle that has one. That the politicians have to be seen doing something.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/catalytic-converter-bill-passes-california-assembly/vi-AAXPK5O?category=foryou

Problem solved, i'm sure.

Misc says

I guess things have gotten so out of hand with thefts from car dealerships as well as from any vehicle that has one.

We are lucky at the cab company. We use Caravans, Sedonas, and Impalas. All these cars have the cats located high in the engine compartment. It is hard to get the cats out even when on a lift. Company pickup trucks not so lucky, cats are near the back and lots of ground clearance.