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South Pasadena police outline prevention steps as catalytic converter and copper‑wire thefts rise
Summary
Police briefed the Public Safety Commission on catalytic converter and copper‑wire thefts, prevention measures such as etching and cages, challenges prosecuting unserialized parts, and vulnerabilities at EV charging stations and construction sites. Commissioners discussed municipal ordinances, recycler regulation, and outreach.
Chief Brian Solinski and Detective Carlos Petch told the Public Safety Commission that catalytic converter and copper‑wire thefts have been a growing problem locally and regionally and outlined prevention steps residents and businesses can take.
“This item is brought before you, at the request of some of the commissioners,” Chief Solinski said, and pointed to recent enforcement actions elsewhere: “Most recently, the Los Angeles Police Department, their heavy metal, theft task force arrested, 82 individuals, I believe, with over 2,000 pounds of copper wiring.”
Detective Carlos Petch described how easily thieves can remove catalytic converters and wire, noting on‑camera examples and the short time required to commit the theft. “Basically, you can just get a reciprocating saw, go underneath the vehicle… you could take no more than a minute and a half to, extract 1 of these catalytic converters,” Petch said. He said…
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