Rutgers Campus Again Hit By Rash Of Catalytic Converter Thefts

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Cars parked on the Rutgers campus have again been hit by a rash of catalytic converter thefts, Rutgers Police announced Thursday.

Between April 7 and April 19, catalytic converters were cut from the undercarriage of cars parked on many different parking lots on campus:

• Lot 51 (Busch Campus - 86 Davidson Road, Piscataway)
• Lot 62 (Busch Campus - 199 Davidson Road, Piscataway)
• Lot 58C (Busch Campus - 182 Bevier Road, Piscataway)
• Lot 80 (Douglass Campus - 49 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick)

The cars targeted included multiple Honda Accords, an Acura TSX, a Honda Civic, a Hyundai Sonata and a Ford van, said police. The Rutgers University Police Department asks that anyone with information, or who may have been in the area at the time, contact the RUPD’s Detective Bureau at 848-932-8025.

As Patch reported, the Rutgers campus was hit by multiple catalytic converter thefts in February, as well. Read that report: Rutgers Campus Reports Catalytic Converter Thefts

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.

Rutgers police remind car owners to park in well-lit areas, consider installing catalytic converter anti-theft devices and adjust vehicle alarm systems to activate upon vibration.

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