Police back stronger ordinance to curb catalytic‑converter thefts; committee adopts amendment
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Summary
Deputy Police Commissioner Fran Healy told the Committee on Rules that bill 250890 expands a 2022 ordinance to cover individual parts and tightens identification rules for metal dealers; the committee adopted an amendment and reported the bill favorably.
Deputy Commissioner Fran Healy of the Philadelphia Police Department testified in support of bill 250890, which would broaden an existing ordinance to prohibit unlawful theft, training, and trafficking of catalytic converters and motor‑vehicle parts containing precious metals and increase penalties.
Healy told the committee the department supports the measure because thieves increasingly target components for the valuable metals inside catalytic converters and the bill strengthens prior reforms by expanding coverage to individual parts and tightening identification requirements for precious‑metal and junk dealers. He said the department previously supported related reforms in 2022 and credited the city’s efforts with a large reduction in thefts, from ‘‘about 5,000’’ annually to far fewer incidents.
The committee adopted an amendment to the bill by voice vote and later voted to report the ordinance with a favorable recommendation to council for first reading. The transcript records voice votes and committee approval but does not include a roll‑call tally of individual members’ votes.