Catalytic converter thefts on the rise?

This was an “ALERT” sent out to my campus last week. At first I thought it was funny, but then I realized just how disturbing this actually is…

Campus Crime Update
Over the last two months the campus has had an increase in vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles. During October and November the campus experienced eight vehicle thefts, ten vehicle burglaries and four thefts from vehicles. On November 2, 2009 two Toyota pick-up trucks had the catalytic converters stolen from them. A third Toyota pick-up was discovered with its catalytic converter partly removed.

With the increase of thefts on campus involving vehicles, the University Police Department put together an undercover task force. The task force started surveillance of the campus parking lots on November 3. On November 4, members of the task force arrested a male they caught underneath a Toyota pick-up, who appeared to be in the process of stealing the catalytic converter. Yesterday, November 11, at about 5:00 PM the task force arrested a male after they observed him stealing a bait car the task force had parked in the campus parking lot.

Most of the vehicles involved in the thefts on campus have been Hondas. Honda is among the top stolen vehicle in the country. If you own a Honda you may consider a supplemental security device. Everyone should make an effort to insure your vehicle is locked and secured when you leave it in the parking lot.

If you have any information you believe would be helpful in any of these cases feel free to contact the University Police Department…”

This message came from a medium-sized Southern California university outside of Los Angeles that is no stranger to crime.  Unfortunately there is no public posting of this particular notice (i.e. URL) so you’ll have to take my word for it.  However, it did prompt me to do a little off-the-cuff “research” into the topic of catalytic converter thefts. The results, as they say, may astound you! (or not):

Catalytic Converter, cut open

From Providence, RI:

“Last year, for example, 956,846 vehicles were stolen nationwide, according to the NICB. That was the first time national auto thefts were below one million since 1978… [however] …In some cases the entire car is stolen to be resold in another part of the country or overseas. In others, cars are broken up for parts or the parts are simply stolen off the vehicle. “A set of (custom) wheels from a (Cadillac) Escalade can go for thousands of dollars,” said Rader.”(1)

From Las Vegas, NV:

“…There’s a huge, huge illegal market for automotive parts, especially what he mentions – Honda parts – which is why Honda thefts are always so high,” explains Lt. Duvall…

[From the video]:

Sophia Choi (TV Interviewer): Any particular car easier than others?

Marcus (convicted car thief): Imports. Any Import: Honda, Toyota, Nissan. Those are the easiest.

Lt. Duvall: Top three. Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissan models regularly top the list of most stolen vehicles per the National Insurance Crime Bureau, not for the cars themselves but for their parts…”(2)

From Brewer, Maine:

“After a string of stolen catalytic converters in Bangor and Brewer, officers from both communities began working together and their efforts paid off Thursday with the arrest of a Bangor couple…“These converters have been cut off of parked vehicles right out in the open,” he wrote. One was stolen from a Wilson Street “restaurant parking lot while victim(s) ate a meal,” and another theft occurred in Bangor in a “college parking lot in daytime hours…”(3)

From Chicago, Il:

“With all the thefts of catalytic converters, it’s a wonder rush hour traffic is as bad as it is in Chicago.

Four more people are charged tonight with stealing converters on the North side. Two weeks ago, five others were charged for their role in a citywide ring… Police set up surveillance last night. They saw a female driver pull up next to a parked car and drop off three mail [sic] companions. One of the men stole a converter from underneath a car while the other two served as lookouts. Police arrested them as they tried to drive away.

…KMBC has a good explanation of how converters are stolen and why. Click on the video below (YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBT8aVL0I4c ) (4)

From Chesterfield County,VA:

“Police are investigating 34 catalytic converter thefts from vehicles at two Chester car dealerships that occurred between 9 p.m. on Oct. 17 and 9 a.m. on Oct. 19.

The converters were cut from new Honda Pilots, Elements and Ridgelines and Toyota Tundras and RAV4s at Colonial Honda, 2100 Walthall Center Drive, and Priority Toyota, 2000 Walthall Center Drive. The estimated value of the converters exceeds $80,000…”(5)

Doing a Google search for “catalytic converter theft” came up with 213,000 results.  (Check out the results on Google here: http://tinyurl.com/yc6a9y5 ) The clips above are just in the last three weeks!    Is this an indication that thefts of catalytic converters on the rise, or am I just now hearing about it?

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SOURCES:*
1. Elsworth, P. (2009, October 31). Shutting down the car thieves. Retrieved from http://www.projo.com/projocars/content/CA-CAR_THEFT_10-31-09_ALG894O_v12.285ae2a.html

2. Choi, S. (Photographer). (2009). Inside the mind of a car thief [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=11432890

3. Ricker, N. (2009, November 14). Bangor pair arrested in thefts of auto parts . Retrieved from http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/129506.html

4. O’Malley, D. (2009, November 6). chicago police bust catalytic converter theft ring. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d6-Chicago-police-bust-catalytic-converter-theft-ring

5. Sadler, G. (2009, October 28). Catalytic converters stolen from car lots. Retrieved from http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2009-10-28/Crime_Watch/Catalytic_converters_stolen_from_car_lots.html

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