A Morinville man was jailed last week after St. Albert RCMP noticed he had covered his license plate with a piece of cardboard.
St. Albert RCMP reported Oct. 20 that they arrested and charged a man the previous morning for breaching bail conditions, amongst other offences.
Cst. MJ Burroughs said officers on patrol in an unmarked police car spotted a blue GMC Jimmy travelling south on St. Albert Trail at about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 19. The vehicle’s license plate had been covered with a piece of cardboard, which is illegal under the Traffic Safety Act’s regulations (which state that license plates must be clear and readable at all times).
When officers pulled the car over, they learned the driver, a man, was subject to numerous bail conditions, including one which said he was not to be in the driver’s seat of any vehicle. They also learned the man’s vehicle was not registered and that the license plate on it belonged to another vehicle.
Plainly visible inside the vehicle were a grinder, reciprocating saw, multiple saw blades, a mask, gloves, and two catalytic converters, Burroughs said. Grinders and saws were tools commonly used to steal catalytic converters.
Terry Joseph Pitts, 49, of Morinville was charged with five counts of failure to comply with a release order (bail conditions), one count of possession of property obtained by crime, and one count of possession of break-in tools. He was held in jail following a judicial interim hearing and was to appear in St. Albert Provincial Court on Oct. 24.
Burroughs said the RCMP regularly get reports of stolen catalytic converters. Thieves target these car parts due to the valuable metals in them.
The Leduc RCMP have advised drivers to park their cars in garages and in areas with video surveillance to reduce the risk of catalytic converter thefts. The City of Leduc has also started a “You Etch It. We Catch It” program where select businesses will engrave the last eight digits of a car’s vehicle information number onto your catalytic converter at no cost. Leduc also passed a bylaw last September which fines anyone in possession of an unattached catalytic converter $1,000 per converter unless they have a valid license for auto repair, auto part supply and transport, or a permit from the RCMP.
The Leduc RCMP advise anyone who sees or hears suspicious activity (such as sawing or grinding noises at night or a crime in progress) to call 911, and to report any after-the-fact catalytic converter thefts to their local RCMP office (780-458-4300 in St. Albert, 780-939-1600 in Morinville).
