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Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

justice.gov

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Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#161

Post by catiopatio »

krapht wrote: post #158
catiopatio wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It basically mandates KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for companies that buy or sell catalytic converters, and it makes buying or selling a catalytic converter without documentation that it was obtained legally a crime. This is worse than the original problem. When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? Effective, privacy-preservin…

Just wait until you hear about the history of anti-fencing laws dating back to the 1600s. You're missing out on centuries of outage.

Ridiculously targeted laws like this are quite a new invention.

I see that the “[feeling of] safety above all” contingent is quite voracious about defending this latest government intrusion, so I’ll stop giving them comments to downvote.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#162

Post by PM_me_your_math »

shakezula wrote: post #46
treeman79 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only thing that will help is serious prison sentences and the right to defend property with deadly force. Many areas of the country there is no consequences.

I’m a gun-owning full pro-2A believer and I absolutely disagree with killing someone over stealing a catalytic converter. For fuck’s sake, prison or murder cannot be the only two options here.

Heard a story of a man who was under a car, cutting out a converter when the owner snuck up on him and smashed the butt end of a rifle right into the thieves balls. The man ended up losing both his testicles. No charges were filed. I like it. Perhaps another price should be your balls cutt off with a sawzall.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#164

Post by scotty79 »

insaneirish wrote: post #121
gpm wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. I'd say that counts as probable cause, someone who downloaded the app probably committed a crime. The standard for a search isn't beyond a reasonable doubt.

> I'd say that counts as probable cause, someone who downloaded the app probably committed a crime. What?! Is Apple a co-conspirator then? What about the people who did app review? Should we round them up and charge them, too?

You should investigate them at least. There's no harm in shining a little light on how purely criminal app got approved to be in the walled garden. And maybe some money to be forfeitured there as well.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#165

Post by rosywoozlechan »

catiopatio wrote: post #160
rosywoozlechan wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? Have you ever run a business? You have to track a lot already. For the IRS, for your business license, for auditing, for compliance depending on what goods and services you sell. You know like firearms, tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals are big ones, but also animals, chemicals, certain kinds…

It’s gotten considerably worse over the past 20 years; we’re asked to present ID and tracked in government databases when purchasing allergy medicine .

Yes, if you mean pseudoephedrine, that's to stop the production of meth.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#166

Post by PM_me_your_math »

NaturalPhallacy wrote: post #136
plantain wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is catalytic converter theft seemingly worse in the US/UK than in Europe/AU/NZ? I think the problem is underlying societal collapse rather than consequences.

Hypothesis: The "war on drugs" and rampant poverty with minimal to no social safety nets. America is brutal on its poor. I know cause I grew up on food stamps and expired meat in Chemical Valley during the height of Dupont's C8 dumping. People are soul crushingly desperate, but many don't even know it doesn't have to be this bad.

This is a joke right? Have you seen how much the USA pays in social safety nets?

Also, in the absence of the war on drugs, you'd still have criminal gangs, so no, that has nothing to do with it.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#167

Post by PM_me_your_math »

cratermoon wrote: post #39
sokoloff wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you give a dog timely and consistent corrections, it really does learn. That's literally half the battle in house-training a dog. (Yes, you try to control and arrange success and praise when the dog does the right thing, but you also correct when it does the wrong thing.)

Dogs are smarter than people.

How's the canine space program going? Any reusable rocket bodies yet?

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#168

Post by Arainach »

chrisweekly wrote: post #150
humanistbot wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts. Making it extremely difficult to fence these things will be practical and useful because they aren't sold and reused as is California just passed a law to this end, which is pretty straightforward and effectively turns the grey market into a black market. A black market will still exist, but it will be a lot harder for legitimate junkya…

Mexico -> New Mexico, right?

No, Mexico. California doesn't border New Mexico, but they do border Mexico.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#169

Post by DFHippie »

rdtwo wrote: post #73
castratikron wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the alternative?

People stealing car batteries at 7-12k a pop

Underneath a Tesla, and I imagine other EVs with similarly located batteries, there is a titanium plate. It is there to prevent road debris from penetrating the batteries and starting a fire, but it is precisely the sort of thing people install to prevent catalytic converter theft.

This is setting aside a larger problem: If you're under a car nabbing a catalytic converter you can quickly cut it loose, grab it, and run. If you're under en EV and manage to break the battery pack loose after several hours work, your remains will be pinned to the ground under that car later when the police come to investigate. People won't be stealing batteries and leaving EVs stranded for the same reason they aren't stealing diesel truck motors and leaving the trucks stranded.

Re: Justice Department announces takedown of catalytic converter theft ring

#170

Post by zeven7 »

catiopatio wrote: post #148
hack_edu wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? After Timothy McVeigh blew up a building with a truck full of agricultural supplies.

How well did that prevent 9/11? The decrease in domestic terrorism is due to societal changes and better old-fashioned policing of home-grown extremist groups. We didn’t somehow make it impossible (or even difficult) to improvise large explosives.

It prevented 7/15 pretty damn well
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