Surrey council directed city staff on Monday to ask the provincial government to bring forward legislation to 91裸聊视频渃ombat91裸聊视频� catalytic converter theft throughout B.C.

Mayor Brenda Locke brought the motion forward on Sept. 11 and council voted in support of it on Oct. 16.

The mayor noted there is 91裸聊视频渃urrently an absence of robust province-wide regulations to address the problem91裸聊视频� and called for a 91裸聊视频渓egislative framework91裸聊视频� to deal with it.

In April council tweaked the city91裸聊视频檚 Scrap Metal Dealer Regulation Bylaw, Business License Bylaw and Surrey Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw and Surrey Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw in an effort to curb local thefts. Among actions taken were to raise the maximum fines under the scrap metal bylaw to $50,000 from $10,000.

Surrey91裸聊视频檚 plan was conceived in January, when catalytic converter theft was significantly on the rise and made up almost 45 per cent of thefts from autos in this city.

Coun. Doug Elford told council he 91裸聊视频減ersonally chased a guy down the street stealing a catalytic converter91裸聊视频� from his neighbour. 91裸聊视频淚t can be done easily on bikes, very quick and very painful to the victims so I fully support this motion, but knowing how the Province works it may sort of drag this out and I91裸聊视频檓 wondering if we have done something or we can do something within our own bylaws to assist, just expedite things.91裸聊视频�

Acting city manager Rob Costanzo replied that city bylaws were amended earlier in the year to 91裸聊视频渁ddress the situation.

91裸聊视频淭he issue beyond our municipal borders would require the municipalities to enact similar bylaws which could be very difficult given the vast number of municipalities beyond Surrey,91裸聊视频� Costanzo said. 91裸聊视频淪o the concern is you can steal a catalytic converter in Surrey and sell it in Langley, for example, so the purpose of this motion would be for the Province to enact its own legislation to ensure it91裸聊视频檚 aligned with our bylaw that would allow us to more readily move forward and ensure that we can prevent this sort of issue from arising across B.C., not just solely in Surrey.91裸聊视频�

Coun. Linda Annis said she91裸聊视频檚 hearing from 91裸聊视频渟everal reputable recyclers91裸聊视频� who are 91裸聊视频渞unning into difficulties91裸聊视频� with Surrey91裸聊视频檚 bylaw as currently written 91裸聊视频渂ecause they91裸聊视频檙e getting massive truckloads of scrap that may have a catalytic converter or two in the mix and they91裸聊视频檙e losing a lot of business because those trucks are being re-diverted to other jurisdictions.

91裸聊视频淚 know there91裸聊视频檚 several major recyclers here in Surrey that are quite concerned about that so the sooner we can encourage the provincial government to get this fixed the better it would be.91裸聊视频�