CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - It’s a crime that has exploded in popularity recently. Chicago police are searching for catalytic converter thieves who targeted department vehicles last week.
Chicago Police vehicles that transport horses in the department’s mounted unit were hit by catalytic converter thieves, according to CBS-2. News Affairs told WBBM Thursday morning police discovered five city vehicles were damaged near the South Shore Cultural Center. No one is in custody and CBS-2 said the horses cannot be moved until the trucks are fixed.
The Des Plaines-based National Insurance Crime Bureau charted more than a 1,000% increase in such thefts over the last three years. The group has hosted events to etch numbers into the converters as a way to deter resale of the precious metals inside.