Sheriff offers tips to avoid catalytic converter theft

Sheriff offers tips to avoid catalytic converter theft

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DAVIS COUNTY — As the weather warms up, the likelihood that a catalytic converter will be stolen from underneath a car and sold to metal recycle shops increases, the Davis County Sheriff's Office warned Wednesday.

A catalytic converter, which regulates toxic chemicals in a car's exhaust, was recently stolen from under a car at the Park and Ride in South Weber, according to Sgt. Susan Poulsen, who said this type of theft is nothing new.

"It's just a reminder that it's going to be warm and people are going to be crawling under vehicles and getting those catalytic converters for a very nominal price at the metal recycler," she said.

There are precious metals in catalytic converters, so Poulsen estimated thieves can receive between $100 and $150 for them at metal recycle shops. However, she said it costs substantially more than that for the car owner to replace the missing part.

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Red flags are raised when someone turns in multiple catalytic converters, and police have avenues to investigate the thefts, but Poulsen warned the parts do not have serial numbers so they can be difficult to recover unless owners take precautionary measures.

"There are some things that folks to do to protect themselves, and if they can get their own catalytic converter recovered, it's helpful for them to not have to pay for the cost of replacement," she said.

Poulsen suggested having a license plate number engraved on the catalytic converter so it can be identified as belonging to them if it is stolen. The catalytic converter can also be secured to the frame of the car by using muffler shots.

She advised people can avoid being victimized by parking in well-lit areas with a lot of foot traffic, which will reduce the thieves ability to crawl under somebody's vehicle and go to work without being seen.

"Nobody thinks their catalytic converter is going to be stolen until it's gone, so it's just one of those things we have to think about to protect ourselves," she said.

Contributing: Becky Bruce

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