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OREM -- Police are again warning about the theft of catalytic converters.
Officers in Orem say they have seen a spike in recent weeks of this valuable part being stolen from underneath cars -- mostly SUVs.
Thieves often use a public parking lot to look for catalytic converters to steal.
They don't want them for their own cars; rather, they want to sell them for scrap -- and they are very expensive for victims to replace.
Catalytic converters are found underneath your car, and if yours has been stolen, you'll know as soon as you start up your car: It will be loud.
Often times, the thieves will steal the units during the day. They can get away with it, because it may appear that they are just fixing someone's broken down car -- and people often don't realize it.
The thefts are usually tied to prices for scrap metal. When the price goes up, thieves often look for what they think is easy cash.
Officer Shaps Tripp of the Orem Police Department said, "We're doing everything we can right now, as far as providing extra patrols at locations where we think the thefts could be occurring. Oftentimes it is difficult without video surveillance or other means of catching them, so we definitely are encouraging the public to let us know if they see something suspicious."
Orem police report they are seeing 1990s models of Toyota and Nissan SUVs, as the most popular target for the thieves. Owners of those vehicles are urged to take extra precautions.
Not only are the thieves hitting parking lots, but some used car dealerships are reporting catalytic converter thefts.
Many metal recyclers are working with police departments now and requiring information from sellers to discourage thefts.
Still, the thefts continue, and police say it is usually tied to supporting a drug habit.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
