Middletown Hit By Rash Of Catalytic Converter Thefts This Week

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown has been hit by a rash of catalytic converter thefts this week, said police on Friday.

On Wednesday night, there were six attempts to steal catalytic converters from parked cars, notably in Port Monmouth and North Middletown. Four of the attempts were successful and the converter was stolen, said Middletown Police spokesman Deputy Chief Paul Bailey.

In one of the instances, in Port Monmouth, people cutting off the converter were interrupted by a Middletown police officer on patrol and they drove off. The car owner told News 12 he still has to replace the converter, as it was nearly entirely cut off. It can be $1,000 to $3,000 to replace a catalytic converter.

The cars targeted by the thieves are mostly Hondas, said police.

Middletown Police also said the suspect vehicle is a dark-colored BMW, which they are asking residents to be on the lookout for, especially during the overnight hours. They also ask residents to be alert for any unusual noises near their homes overnight.

Catalytic converter theft and car theft skyrocketed across New Jersey this year, according to the state Attorney General's office. Many cars parked at the Rutgers campus were hit by converter thieves in April.

A catalytic converter is found in a car's undercarriage and it is designed to reduce the pollutants and toxic gases the engine produces. Catalytic converters are made out of precious metals, including platinum, and right now they can be re-sold at a very high mark-up on the black market. Palladium, another precious metal used in converters, is also selling at an all-time high right now due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It can be very expensive to replace a catalytic converter. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts have seen a significant increase across the country since March of 2020, when the pandemic first started.