It only takes a few minutes for thieves to take it, and you may not even notice it’s gone.
Police are warning the public about a spike in catalytic converter thefts across the country.
Catalytic converters are made of precious metals like platinum, and their job is to convert pollutants and toxic gases into exhaust fumes. Authorities say thieves are quickly sliding under cars and removing them, sometimes in less than five minutes.
“The SUVs that sit higher off of the ground, they just scoot under the car, they take a saw and they cut right through the pipes, and they are out of there within a minute or two,” said Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Ben Naish.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Naish said they have seen these crimes more than triple. Less than 1,000 converters were stolen from cars in 2020. In 2021, that number jumped to more than 3,300.
“They’re happening all over the city, not just in one place. But in the Northeast, in the 15th District, is seeing the greatest number — over 300 catalytic converters,” said Naish.
Across the country in California, police officers and business owners are teaming up to prevent the thefts and prosecute catalytic converter thieves.
The Los Angeles Times reports that a free event hosted by the Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach police departments, where 130 vehicle owners had their catalytic converters "etched" for free by a local automotive company, resulted in the recovery of a stolen one.
Police arrested three people in connection to catalytic converter thefts in Santa Ana, California on January 4, and recovered several stolen converters. One of the converters belonged to Gabe Villa, who told the outlet that he participated in the etching event after the catalytic converter was stolen from his mother's car while it was parked in her driveway. "I’m so lucky because of that event. At least I had the opportunity to get my goods back — that normally doesn’t happen," he said.
Once the converter is removed from a vehicle, the car makes a very loud noise.
“The victims all report that as soon as they start their car, they know that there is something wrong with the car,” Naish continued. “They oftentimes don’t know what the problem is, so they take it to a mechanic shop and then they find out their catalytic converter has been taken off the car.”
Officials are urging people to report if one is stolen so police can track patterns.
As far as prevention, mechanics say drivers should upgrade car alarm systems to be sensitive to vibrations, and park their cars in well-lit areas and garages. There are also protective cages drivers can install, though mechanics say those can also be removed.
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