The New Castle County Division of Police is urging the public to exercise caution as an alarming amount of catalytic converter thefts have been reported throughout the county over the last week.
What is a catalytic converter? It’s an automobile component that looks similar to a muffler and functions by converting hazardous exhaust emissions into less harmful gases using platinum, palladium, or rhodium. Unfortunately, these metals are valuable in the marketplace due to their rarity; therefore, they have become attractive targets for theft. Police are asking people to stay alert and protect your possessions
As the value of the precious metals remains high, so does the number of thefts of these devices. There is a clear connection between times of crisis, limited resources, and supply chain disruption that drives these thefts police said.
Theft of catalytic converters can be a concern in parking lots that are not monitored and have vehicles parked for long time periods. Trucks, SUVs and other vehicles with a higher profile than most are at particular risk because of the ease of accessing the converter from underneath. In many cases, thieves can use battery-powered saws to cut the converter off and take it away in under 60 seconds.
Officials said according to CARFAX, these are the top ten vehicles targeted for catalytic converter theft. Please take extra precautions if you own a vehicle on the list.
Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Tacoma, Ford F Series Truck, Subaru Forester, Toyota Camry, Ford Econoline, Ford Explorer, and Nissan NV
Police are asking the public to be aware of these thefts and to report any suspicious activity by dialing 911.