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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
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Harvey Tschetter, whose catalytic converter was targeted by thieves two days after he purchased his vehicle, said damage and replacement costs for the converter were close to $7,000.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI ran out there and I screamed at them, \u2018What the F do you think you\u2019re doing?\u2019 They crawled out from under my car, held the hammer up like, don\u2019t come near me, and drove off,\u201d Tschetter said of the June 8 incident. \u201cIt was 5 a.m. and completely light out. I can\u2019t believe how brazen they were. They showed no fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The incident happened amid a sharp year-over-year increase in reports of catalytic converter thefts or attempted thefts to Manitoba Public Insurance, after record highs in 2021 and 2022 led to increased enforcement, provincial anti-theft legislation and a period of significant decline.<\/p>\n
The Crown corporation said it received 192 claims in Winnipeg between Jan. 1 and July 16, compared with 89 for all of 2025 and 85 in 2024.<\/p>\n
About 70 per cent this year\u2019s claims were filed between April and June. The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating an alleged group of serial thieves<\/a> that operated during those months.<\/p>\n Four people were arrested and a fifth is being sought for at least 13 incidents, police said Friday. Investigators believe the stolen converters were sold in the province.<\/p>\n \u201cThe group of individuals that were arrested were directly correlated to the spike that we saw over the last couple of months of catalytic thefts increasing,\u201d Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said. \u201cThis is something we\u2019re monitoring very closely.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiebe said the number of thefts is expected to remain low outside of the recent spike. MPI received seven claims between July 1 and 16.<\/p>\n \u201cI ran out there and I screamed at them, \u2018What the F do you think you\u2019re doing?\u2019\u2026 I can\u2019t believe how brazen they were. They showed no fear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLaw enforcement \u2014 in this case, WPS \u2014 did a great job of going after these organized folks and shutting it down, and because of that we\u2019ve seen the numbers return to the levels that they were previous to this, which was quite low,\u201d Wiebe said.<\/p>\n Tschetter said the attempted theft of his catalytic converter on Henderson Highway was one of the 13 incidents that led to the four arrests last month.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad they caught them. The police did a good job of responding to my call,\u201d Tschetter said. \u201cThey were there the same day and they took it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n His SUV was towed to an MPI compound in Transcona, where he said the vehicle was damaged in a hail storm \u2014 requiring a separate claim \u2014 the following day. His deductible was $1,000 in each claim.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Tschetter said the damage and replacement costs for the converter were close to $7,000, while the hail damage was estimated at about $6,000. He got his vehicle back about three weeks later.<\/p>\n Outside Winnipeg, MPI received 27 catalytic converter claims between Jan. 1 and July 16, exceeding annual totals for 2025 (14) and 2024 (19).<\/p>\n Reports of thefts to Winnipeg police soared to more than 1,500 in 2021 and 1,800 in 2022 while thieves targeted catalytic converters for their resale value.<\/p>\n Combat catalytic converter theft<\/p>\n Manitoba Public Insurance encourages vehicle owners to take the following steps to try to prevent catalytic converters from being stolen.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tPark in well-lit areas.Park close to building entrances or the nearest road in public parking lots, where the vehicle will be in a more visible location. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tClick to read more<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tPark in well-lit areas.Park close to building entrances or the nearest road in public parking lots, where the vehicle will be in a more visible location.If available, park inside a garage with the door shut.Install a video camera and point it toward the area where you regularly park your vehicle.If your vehicle has a security system, adjust it so that it will be activated by vibrations, such as those produced by a saw.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tClose<\/p>\n Converters, which are part of a vehicle\u2019s exhaust system, contain trace amounts of highly valuable precious metals.<\/p>\n The former Tory government\u2019s Scrap Metal Act came into effect in July 2022 to combat the trafficking of stolen auto parts.<\/p>\n The law requires sellers to show photo identification and explain how they acquired the scrap metal they\u2019re selling.<\/p>\n Metal recyclers must document and photograph all converters purchased, and provide records to law enforcement. Police must be notified of any suspected stolen parts.<\/p>\n The number of reported catalytic converter thefts slowed to 344 in Winnipeg in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThe legislation that we have here in Manitoba is strong, but it really requires to ensure that the enforcement is there,\u201d Wiebe said.<\/p>\n He said the government is working with law enforcement and the scrap metal industry to combat thefts and trafficking.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there are some scrap metal dealers who are not following the rules, then that gives an opportunity for organized groups like this for this kind of theft \u2026 to occur again,\u201d Wiebe said.<\/p>\n The law allows peace officers to carry out inspections to ensure scrap metal buyers and sellers are obeying.<\/p>\n Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen said the responsibility of inspections should not be put on police services.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Harvey Tschetter\u2019s vehicle now has a cage installed to deter catalytic converter thieves.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI know having worked in (policing) that\u2019s putting a large burden on the police,\u201d the former Brandon police chief said. \u201cThey\u2019re already struggling with keeping up with workloads and demands.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the government should be the lead on inspections.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need a provincial initiative where they are going and doing these inspections, and making sure all of the rules are being followed, whether it\u2019s the vendors or the people selling,\u201d Balcaen said.<\/p>\n Wiebe said law enforcement has a role to \u201cstep in\u201d if a crime is being committed, while officers within his department can conduct enforcement or be \u201cpart of the solution\u201d if there are impacts to community safety.<\/p>\n \u2014 With files from Tyler Searle<\/p>\n chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t Chris Kitching Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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