Law enforcement agencies on catalytic converter theft

Feb. 28—Law enforcement agencies in Yuba-Sutter have seen an increase in catalytic converter thefts in the area. The agencies provided details on why the auto part is a target for thieves and how people can avoid becoming victims.

Yuba County

Sheriff's office public information officer Leslie Williams said reported catalytic converter theft went up from 2019 to 2020. The sheriff's office received approximately 10 reports in 2019 and 40 in 2020.

"The catalytic (converters) are targeted for their precious metal content, and the rise and fall of the theft trendline tends to follow the market trends for scrap metal prices," Williams said in an email. "It's a recycling metal crime."

She said if recyclers knowingly purchase a stolen part, they can be criminally liable, but it is often hard to prove a part was stolen without a serial number or another identifying feature. Certain vehicles like trucks or SUVs are more desirable targets because they have multiple converters or are easier to get under because of higher ground clearance. Some makes and models like Toyotas are known for higher precious metal content. Williams said the Toyota Prius was heavily targeted last year.

She said the cost to repair and replace a stolen converter is often more than the value of the part taken. The part could be valued around $100 but repair costs could be approximately $1,000 depending on the type of vehicle.

Thieves unbolt the converters or cut them off with a reciprocating saw type tool. Williams said the thefts tend to come in waves and are often carried out by a crew of two or more suspects descending on neighborhoods overnight and hitting multiple vehicles in an area.

"Generally, if we have a spike in these thefts, it's affecting our neighboring jurisdictions as well and we share information between agencies to see if we could be sharing the same suspects; and oftentimes that has been the case," Williams said.

Some preventative measures include having a converter engraved with an identifying number and applying cages to secure them or have them welded on. She said parking in a locked garage or well-lit driveway can be a deterrent.

Yuba City

Yuba City Police Department Lt. Sam Escheman said the city has seen an increase in catalytic converter thefts over the past year compared to previous years. Along with engraving a converter and parking in a well-lit area, Escehman recommended people point surveillance cameras at their cars.

When it comes to engraving a catalytic converter, Escheman said some automotive repair shops provide the service of etching an identifying number.

"The theft can be relatively quick, due to a suspect using cordless tools to cut the catalytic converter off the vehicle," Escheman said in an email.

He said replacing a catalytic converter can cost about $2,500. While a salvage yard can be held responsible if it knew the converter was stolen when it was accepted it would have to be proven the yard knew it was stolen when it took it, like with any other stolen item.

The Yuba City Police Department recently made arrests of suspects during the theft of catalytic converters, according to Escehman. He said the suspects were from out of the local area.

Sutter County

Unlike Yuba City, Sutter County has not had a lot of converter thefts in the last six months, according to Sutter County Sheriff's Office Detective Lt. Steve Grossi. He said the thefts come in waves.

He said thieves will travel by car or bicycle with backpacks on so they can quickly remove a converter, put it in the backpack, and be on their way. He said converters are targeted because they are usually untraceable unless they have been marked. Converters can get a person about $50 in the Yuba-Sutter area, according to Grossi.

"However, it's our understanding that a lot of these types of crimes are gang related and we have seen gangs from Sacramento and the Bay Area which will fetch a heftier price," Grossi said.

Replacing a converter can cost up to $3,000-$4,000 on trucks and more expensive car brands. He said it's also expensive to replace a converter on a Toyota Prius.

Salvage yards may have a feeling that a converter could be stolen based on who is selling it for scrap but because a stolen converter does not have any markings there's no way of tracing it back to a particular report, according to Grossi.