Many Hoosiers have gone outside and cranked the car only to discover something was wrong and they couldn’t get to work. Now the combination of a new state law and a proposed federal law may cut down on the number of catalytic converter thefts in Indiana.

“With just a limited amount of equipment people…can steal those and end up collecting a significant amount of money,” said Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.), at a news conference held Monday at the West Lafayette Police Dept.

Baird was there to announce a proposed federal law that could make it easier for law enforcement to catch the thieves and prosecute them. Baird pointed out that the converters, which are meant to cut dwn on a car’s emissions, contain precious metals and can bring up to $250 for a thief.

Currently the converters are not marked with a number that can be traced back to any specific vehicle. Baird said the proposed law would change that.

“So, if law enforcement finds one of these or ou find a pickup load of these, then they have a way of connecting that to an original VIN number and then they have a way to take action,” he said.

Baird noted that a school corporation recently experienced the distress of having the catalytic converters stolen from a fleet of school buses. Secretary of State Holli Sullivan related her own experience. She gifted her daughter a Honda Pilot, and while it was parked in Indianapolis, someone attempted to steal the converter, getting the job only half way done, and costing them a $3,000 repair.

Sullivan helped put together a state law, signed last week, that she hopes will take the incentive and reward away from thieves. “making it so that only licensed salvage recyclers can buy and sell the catalytic converters. It also requires that those recyclers keep and maintain records.”

Sullivan said she believes that will lessen the desire to try and sell one.

The law also puts a cap of one, on the number of catalytic converters that can be sold in one day. She said that will cut down on the batches that are being stolen and sold from places like parking lots and RV dealerships and factories.