Catalytic Converters Stolen in Palo Alto

Within a few hours on Monday, two people reported that catalytic converters had been stolen off of their vehicles in Palo Alto.

The thefts were reported in the 2200 block of Emerson and the 600 block of Tennyson.

Palo Alto Police Department Agent Marianna Villaescusa says the theft of catalytic converters goes “up and down” in the city, but it’s a common crime across the state and the county.

Automotive website Edmunds.com reports that recyclers pay anywhere from $20 - $200 for the parts, while vehicle owners are stuck with repair bills that start at $1,000 and go up, depending upon how much damage the thief did when ripping off the part.

The big money in the whole theft equation is the reselling of recovered metals by the metal recyclers. Catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium, rhodium or gold. The recyclers can get as much as $6,000 per ounce for the rhodium.

The most targeted vehicles

Because they sit so high off the ground, pickups and SUVs are especially vulnerable. It takes just a minute or two for experienced thieves to remove the parts and flee.

Last month, a car dealership in the Dallas area offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of a catalytic converter thief who was targeting Dodge Ram trucks on the car lot. According to the dealership, the catalytic converters are on back-order. By law, the trucks can’t be sold without the smog devices, so the damaged trucks sit as expensive inventory. 

Catalytic converter theft prevention

So, how do you protect yourself from becoming the next victim? Take these tips from mechanics:

1.    Weld the heads on the catalytic converter bolts.
2.    Shear the heads off the bolts holding the catalytic converter.
3.    Have a special device installed over the catalytic converter, such as the Cat Clamp, that’s specifically designed to prevent theft.

If you have any information about the thefts, phone the 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow,org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

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