New tougher laws passed with higher penalties, buying on restrictions on scrap dealers, lower precious metal prices and lobbying by the insurance companies have resulted in the decline of catalytic converter thefts. https://www.kxly.com/news/crime/catalytic-converter-thefts-decline-five-months-after-washington-law-takes-effect/article_a59682a0-96e7-57b3-bd34-f06bf5427c6c.html Catalytic converter theft: Houston police warn people to be cautious despite auto part theft reports declining - ABC13 Houston
While politicians will always be eager to take huge credit for tiniest of minor new lawmaking, I think the detectives who tracked down and busted people who were generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in precious metals they were getting from the stolen cats is the real reason the thefts have declined...
Since their Pandemic peaks, the price of platinum is now down more than 25%, palladium down more than 55%, and rhodium down more than 80%. These lower prices should also be factors in the theft reductions.
