LA Sheriff Finds $750K Worth of Catalytic Converters, Arrests 19 in Sting

From Car and Driver

• While no one is tracking exact figures, the number of catalytic converters stolen from vehicles across the U.S. has grown tremendously. In Los Angeles County, it was up 400 percent in a year.

• The LA Sheriff raided four locations last week, arresting 19 people and recovering three-quarters of a million dollars' worth of catalytic converters, plus $100,000 in cash and a "ghost" gun.

• If you want to prevent your own cat from being stolen, parking in a secure location is one possible solution. The sheriff also suggests etching your serial number into the converter and welding its bolts together. As one does.

Don't say we didn't warn you. Catalytic converter thefts keep on rising as the pandemic continues, in some cases to an eye-popping degree. The Los Angeles County Sheriff recently announced that there was a 400 percent increase in these kinds of thefts in LA County in 2020. In California as a whole, the number of catalytic converters replaced last year was more than 90 percent higher than the year before, a AAA spokesman told the Los Angeles Times. So it's good news that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office served search warrants in four locations last week, arresting 19 people and recovering 250 catalytic converters with an estimated total value of $750,000. The police also seized around $100,000 and a "ghost" handgun (i.e., one that was homemade or otherwise without a serial number).

Catalytic converters are an important part of a vehicle's emissions reduction system, turning the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons generated by burning fossil fuels into carbon dioxide and water. Almost every car sold since 1975 has one (electric vehicles excepted), which means almost every car is a potential target.