Why not prohibit scrap metal yards from buying catalytic converters, that’s whose buying them. Im pretty sure that would stop a lot of the thefts.
California has a new law:
AB 1740 requires anyone who accepts a catalytic converter to keep a record of all information about the transaction; including payment method, VIN, a copy of the vehicle’s title, and the make and model of the vehicle.
Yes, targeting the middlemen buying up obviously stolen catalytic converters is the obvious solution, but the scrap metal market is notoriously crooked. In Chicago the metal thieves will steal manhole covers from the middle of the street. How can a scrap dealer not know a trunkful of manhole covers has been stolen?