By DAILY PRESS STAFF
CITYWIDE The rise in the price of precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium has led to a significant increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout Los Angeles County, with Santa Monica being no exception, authorities said Thursday.
The Santa Monica Police Department is warning drivers to be aware and protect themselves from becoming victims of these thefts, suggesting residents go so far as to climb under their cars, trucks and SUVs to engrave a drivers license number or the vehicle’s license plate number on the converter to aid in its recovery and the arrest of those involved.
Catalytic converters use precious metals to create chemical reactions that are designed to limit toxic exhaust pollution.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much time for a thief to remove a catalytic converter from the undercarriage of a vehicle, especially if it happens to be a truck or SUV that has high ground clearance,” said SMPD spokesman Lt. Alex Padilla. “Most drivers discover that their catalytic converters have been stolen when they turn their vehicle on and hear a very loud and abnormal exhaust sound.”
Some arrests have been made by officers locally, Padilla said, but the threat still exists.
To help prevent these thefts, the SMPD recommends following these security measures: • If you must park on the street, try to park your vehicle in a well-lit area. • Always lock all doors and windows. • Activate your alarm system when your vehicle is left unattended (some alarm systems can accommodate an additional alarm sensor that can be placed on the catalytic converter). • Engrave your catalytic converter with either your California drivers license number or the vehicle’s license plate number. This procedure can greatly aid in the recovery and return of the converter as well as assist in the prosecution of such a theft. • Many auto repair and muffler installation shops can “tack” weld the converter’s nut and bolt assembly, making it much more difficult to remove the converter and significantly increasing the time it would take to steal. • If you see anyone working underneath a parked vehicle late at night or during earlier morning hours and it looks like a catalytic converter theft is in progress, call 911 and report the situation immediately.
For more information on catalytic converter theft and vehicle security, contact the SMPD Community Relations/Crime Prevention Unit at (310) 458-8474. Anyone with information regarding catalytic converter thefts, who wishes to remain anonymous, may call the WeTip hotline at (800) 78-CRIME (72463).
Catalytic converters are just the latest objects of desire for thieves looking to make money by recycling the stolen items. Across the country there have been reports of churches, schools and abandoned homes being ransacked by thieves looking for copper wiring, pipes and fixtures. Some builders have gone so far as to erect signs that read “ALL PVC pipes, no copper,” indicating a house has less expensive copper piping.
Copper pipes, among the most commonly stolen items, are selling for just over $3 a pound in some areas. Catalytic converters are also popular targets because they contain platinum, which this month sold for an average of $1,900 an ounce.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 11, 2008. Read the original PDF.