SAN ANTONIO — Catalytic converters have become a popular crime of opportunity.
According to a Triple-A report from July, the number of insurance claims from catalytic converter thefts across Texas has jumped 5,300% since 2019.
Bexar County ranks No. 4 for the number of catalytic converter insurance claims, according to the agency. In the City of San Antonio, thousands of reports were filed for stolen catalytic converters.
Catalytic converters are a vital component that reduces a vehicle’s emissions. Once its stolen, a car may not run properly.
The number of thefts in 2022 are up at least 66% percent compared to 2021. It’s a frustration that many vehicle owners share, and police told KENS 5 there are little results in their efforts to curb the trend.
Cost to car owners
Many people on the wrong end of the thefts, including Tiffany Hodge, didn’t know they were a victim until they turned the key.
“It sounded like a motorcycle, very loud and it was very distinctive,” Hodge says.
She was a victim of car theft not once, but two times at the end of September.
“My car was stolen on a Wednesday. The Friday afterwards I rented a Mitsubishi Outlander, and the following Monday I go to turn it on and it didn’t sound right at all. So, I return my car to Enterprise and they told me the converter was stolen off of my car."
Hodge says she had to pay a $500 insurance deductible, but the cost to other vehicle owners can be much higher.
“People have their hard-earned money taken away from them as quickly as overnight,” said Nannette Neugart, owner of O’Brien’s Automotive.
She says it can cost thousands of dollars to replace a catalytic converter once it's stolen. Neugart says the thieves are after the palladium, rhodium and platinum in the cart part.
“(Thieves) can get $250 to $1,000 for a catalytic converter,” Neugart said.
SUVs, fleet vehicles like school buses and Toyota Priuses are prime targets, according to Triple-A. But any car could be a potential victim of theft.
A crime of opportunity
“It’s a low-risk, high-reward type of crime,” SAPD Sgt. Washington Moscoso told KENS 5.
SAPD provided data showing at least 1,700 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2021, and 2,718 so far in 2022.
When KENS 5 asked police if any arrests have been made for this crime, they say they have no way to accurately track them.
According to SAPD, catalytic converter thefts fall under the Penal Code offense of theft from motor vehicle. An arrest for that crime does not always mean a catalytic converter was taken, police say.
It’s also difficult to trace a stolen catalytic converter back to the vehicle where it came from, according to SAPD.
“If we have a pile of catalytic converters that we recovered in the back of someone’s truck, it’s hard for us to (say) that one belongs to this car. There’s no way to do it otherwise, without some kind of owner-applied marking or number on it,” Moscoso said.
The Texas Legislature made it a felony to buy stolen catalytic converters in 2021. Under House Bill 4110, a person selling a catalytic converter to a recycling facility must provide the year, make, model and VIN number for the vehicle from which the part was removed.
According to the Bexar County District Attorney's office, they have received no cases under the new law.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated far fewer cases, telling KENS 5 they had 46 incidents in 2021 and 99 in 2022.
Reducing your risk
There are several ways you can reduce the chance your catalytic converter could be stolen. Advice from AAA includes parking in well-lit areas when possible, and parking inside a garage if you have one.
Catalytic converters can be welded to your car’s frame, making it harder to steal. You could also consider buying a converter shield or theft alarm system, which range in price from as little as $35 to hundreds of dollars.
According to SAPD, catalytic converter shields may not 100% prevent the theft, but it could take longer time for a criminal to steal it.
Neugart thinks it will continue to be a problem in the meantime.
“If it’s going to continue to be as easy as it is – for a thief to get under there within 30 seconds to a minute, and take your converters off with a little Sawzall – I can’t see it stopping,” Neugart said.
You could also consider engraving your VIN number on the catalytic converter to alert a scrap dealer that it was stolen. According to Triple-A, they also recommend carrying a good insurance policy to cover replacement costs.
---
>TRENDING ON KENS 5 YOUTUBE: