Catalytic Converter Thefts

[47of74]

Whenever I see an article about catalytic converter thefts the evil and petty me has to clamp down hard on the ol' tongue to keep from mentioning their vehicle doesn't have one to steal in the first place.

Quote

Dubuque has seen a steep increase in the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles in the past year and a half, in line with a trend happening around the country.

Dubuque Police Department Lt. Brendan Welsh said the local trend reflects the national one. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported a 325% increase in catalytic converter thefts for which a claim was filed in 2020 compared to 2019, and communities have continued to report the issue.

“In Dubuque, looking up our (statistics), from 2015 to 2021 it was pretty much unheard of,” Welsh said of the converter thefts. “We had two in that six-year period. Since the beginning of 2021, in the last year and a half, we have had 44 (reports of catalytic converter thefts).”

Welsh noted that prices for rare metals contained in catalytic converters have gone up in recent years, and those who bring the part to recycling and scrap centers could receive $1,000 or more.

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by 47of74