On a car, it means cleaner air. For a thief, it means $150
Catalytic converter thefts rise with demand for their metals
BY NICK FERRARO
Pioneer Press - 2/5/2007
Eileen Vossen got a rude response when she started her 1996 Hyundai Elantra on a snowy December morning.
"Oh, my gosh … it was the loudest noise I have ever heard," said Vossen, who thought her muffler had fallen off.
She had it towed to a North St. Paul repair shop, where a mechanic broke the news: Someone swiped the car's catalytic converter while it was parked outside her Oakdale apartment, apparently after shimmying underneath with a saw.
"I said, 'They did what?' I had never heard of anyone doing that," said Vossen, 55.
Police say catalytic converters are becoming hot targets for thieves because they contain platinum, palladium and rhodium — precious metals recyclers want after a recent upswing in prices.
"I think there always has been high demand for whatever metal is increasing in value," Blaine Police Chief Dave Johnson said. "I remember years ago we had the rush of silver and gold, and it was common to see gold and even silverware and flatware taken."
Police say thieves typically slide under cars and use a battery-powered reciprocating saw to slice off the catalytic converter, which is part of the exhaust system and designed to reduce emissions.
Bob Henderson, a senior special agent with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said thieves usually seek out catalytic converters on cars that are less than five years old because those are cleaner and look better when brought in for sale.
A converter can fetch from $10 to $150, depending on its size and type and where it is recycled.
Source: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16623725.htm
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Catalytic converter thefts rise with demand for their metals
BY NICK FERRARO
Pioneer Press - 2/5/2007
Eileen Vossen got a rude response when she started her 1996 Hyundai Elantra on a snowy December morning.
"Oh, my gosh … it was the loudest noise I have ever heard," said Vossen, who thought her muffler had fallen off.
She had it towed to a North St. Paul repair shop, where a mechanic broke the news: Someone swiped the car's catalytic converter while it was parked outside her Oakdale apartment, apparently after shimmying underneath with a saw.
"I said, 'They did what?' I had never heard of anyone doing that," said Vossen, 55.
Police say catalytic converters are becoming hot targets for thieves because they contain platinum, palladium and rhodium — precious metals recyclers want after a recent upswing in prices.
"I think there always has been high demand for whatever metal is increasing in value," Blaine Police Chief Dave Johnson said. "I remember years ago we had the rush of silver and gold, and it was common to see gold and even silverware and flatware taken."
Police say thieves typically slide under cars and use a battery-powered reciprocating saw to slice off the catalytic converter, which is part of the exhaust system and designed to reduce emissions.
Bob Henderson, a senior special agent with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said thieves usually seek out catalytic converters on cars that are less than five years old because those are cleaner and look better when brought in for sale.
A converter can fetch from $10 to $150, depending on its size and type and where it is recycled.
Source: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/16623725.htm
