Lufkin City Council strengthens ordinance to cut down on catalytic converter thefts

The Lufkin Daily News
By JESS HUFF/The Lufkin Daily News
December 7, 2022

The Lufkin City Council approved an ordinance cracking down on catalytic converter thefts in the city on its final reading, meaning it is now officially a part of the city’s code.

Catalytic converter thefts are a growing issue nationally and locally, city manager Kevin Gee said, citing National Insurance Crime Bureau statistics and information provided by Lufkin Police Chief David Thomas.

Previous city ordinances limited investigations to metal recycling entities and didn’t allow the city to prosecute a person in possession of a converter unless they were caught in the act of cutting it off a car, Gee said.

“We’ve had a couple of instances where officers have pulled cars over with a pile of converters in the back, but there’s nothing we can do about it unless we catch them in the act,” Thomas said.

With the new ordinance, city police will be able to investigate and pursue further charges if it is warranted, he said.

The new ordinance would require a record of where a catalytic converter came from anyone who has one not connected to a vehicle.

It also outlaws the purchase of a converter from someone who doesn’t have a verifiable receipt of where they acquired the converter.

The council also approved the renewal of an industrial district agreement with Verdant Industries LLC, the owner of the former Abitibi Paper Mill property on state Highway 103.

The agreement, established in 2013, was set to expire in 2023 and would result in the annexation of the property, Gee said.

The current agreement requires the landowner to pay the city what it would have if it was taxed on top of a fee for services from the Lufkin Fire Department.

City Councilmembers Trent Burfine and Guessippinna Bonner asked that the renewal be postponed until the next council meeting so they could get more information on the situation. Burfine said he wanted to know what the future ramifications of this decision would be, especially as the city faces a need for growth.

The motion to postpone the renewal was voted down by the other city council members.

A motion to move forward with the renewal was approved in a 4-2 vote with Bonner and Burfine opposed and Mayor Mark Hicks in favor.