Surrey, B.C., drivers can now have vehicle IDs etched on catalytic converters as theft deterrent

Residents in Surrey, B.C., can now have their vehicle identification number (VIN) etched ona vehicle component to help prevent it from being sawed off and illicitly sold.

On Saturday, RCMP and ICBC held an event at a parking lot at Surrey's Central City mall to explain how residents can have their VIN etched on their vehicle's catalytic converter for free.

"The 'Etch it, We catch it,' campaign will allow people to have their vehicle identification numbers etched onto their catalytic converters, at participating businesses throughout the city, when they are receiving other services," said Cpl. Vanessa Munn.

"The distinctive marking will make it easier for police to be able to detect stolen catalytic converters."

Catalytic converters control exhaust emissions to reduce pollutants, but they have been a target for thieves because of an increase in the price of metals they contain.Converters contain small amounts of platinum, palladium and rhodium.

The part is underneath vehicles and can be quickly cut away by thieves. They are then sold and exported out of the country, after which the precious metals are extracted and then used generally to produce new catalytic converters, according to Munn.

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. says converter theft claims have climbed from 89 in 2017 to 1,953 last year, totalling more than $4 million in claim costs for 2021.

The City of Surrey said in a report to council that there were 1,850 thefts last year, a nearly 350 per cent increase from 2019 when there were 494.

WATCH | ICBC's Karen Klein speaks about the scourge of catalytic converter theft:

ICBC spokesperson Karen Klein explains how to get a VIN etched on your catalytic converter

1 year ago

Duration 0:39

ICBC, RCMP and the City of Surrey have launched a free pilot program to protect against catalytic converter theft.

"It's a real inconvenience to our customers to have an auto crime claim because they're having to be subject to their deductible," said Karen Klein with ICBC. "They'll have to have their car in the shop to get all these repairs done. For ICBC, yes, it is costing us money."

Earlier this month the province made legal changes to stem the thefts by requiring metal dealers and recyclers to report each transaction, including seller information, to police.

The new program in Surrey, which ICBC says is a pilot,goes one step further with the identification and requiring that buyers only purchase a catalytic converter if it is attached to a vehicle, or has a VIN etched on it.

The seller will be required to show proof that they are the registered owner of the vehicle from which is was removed.

Surrey staff is recommending council push through amendments to its scrap metal bylaw next week that would incorporate thechanges.

"The requirement that a VIN be etched to the catalytic converter provides law enforcement theability to trace the origins of the catalytic converter and to determine whether it was stolen," reads the report. "If the VIN has been tampered with, then the scrap metal dealer must not accept the catalytic converter."

Staff are recommending that the new maximum fine under the bylaw be increased from $10,000 to $50,000.

Businesses, such as repair shops,that are part of the program will be provided posters to show they offer the etching. Vehicle owners will be given window decals to show that the catalytic converter has been etched, to deter thieves from targeting the vehicle.

RCMP will host several events in April and May in Surrey to promote the campaign.