Sheriff aims to prevent converter thefts

With a high number of catalytic converter thefts occurring around the state, Minnesota’s sheriffs are stepping up their efforts to combat the problem.
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office is among the departments teaming up with the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau (CFB) in a catalytic converter theft prevention pilot program.
Sheriff Lon Thiele said CFB chose the CATGUARD label as the method for marking catalytic converters through the pilot program. Self-install kits are available from the sheriff’s office for anyone who would like to mark their vehicles.
“This is a way to try to deter or help solve crime if a catalytic converter is stolen and the suspect is caught,” Thiele said. “It's another way of identifying the converter and where it came from to assist law enforcement.”
Each label has been cut with a unique code to be affixed to the converter. Acid is used to etch the number onto the converter. The kits also provide warning labels for vehicle owners to mount in their front windows.
While anyone interested in obtaining a kit must go through the sheriff’s office, Sweet Towing and South Oak Express Lube in Owatonna have agreed to install the kits for free.
Thiele said law enforcement officers will be able to trace the unique number back to the vehicle owner if they come across the converters in other police situations. 
The sheriff’s office has taken more than a dozen catalytic converter theft reports over the past year around the county, according to Thiele. He noted that in one arrest, made about a month ago, a converter was tied to another crime.
Thieves typically target abandoned vehicles on farm properties and other locations in less populated areas, Thiele said.
Catalytic converters have become a target because of the precious metals contained inside the devices. Thieves typically sell them to junk dealers for an average of $100 per converter, according to Tom Sweet, owner of Sweet Towing in Owatonna. “Someone who gets five or six of them in one night can make $500,” he said, adding he doesn’t know where thieves are selling them in this area.
Sweet said catalytic converter thefts have been taking place for several years. He’s even seen cases where they’ve been taken in broad daylight, which happened last year when converters were stolen from two vehicles in the Owatonna Public Schools District Office parking lot.
Ripping off a converter doesn’t take long, Sweet said.
“I’ve seen videos where it doesn’t even take a minute,” he said. “Most of them involve two men—one jacks up the vehicle and the other cuts it off.”
Repairing a vehicle after a converter theft can be costly. Depending on the type of vehicle, it can range from $300 to $1,500 to get a new converter.
Sweet said owners will notice if their vehicle is missing a converter. “They are really loud,” he said, noting insurance companies do not want people to drive without the device. The theft is typically covered by insurance for those with full coverage.
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MOST AT-RISK FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS
 
Chevy Express                   Honda Element                 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Ford Econoline                  Honda Odyssey                 Mitsubishi Lancer
Ford 250                             Hyundai Santa Fe             Mitsubishi Outlander
Honda Accord                    Hyundai Tucson               Toyota Prius
Honda CRV                        Kia Sportage                    Toyota Tundra
 
Source: Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau
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