By Dean Vaglia
Leader Staff Writer
According to a statement by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, two Flint men were caught trying to steal catalytic converters cut from vehicles on Adventure Ln. around 2 a.m. on Sept. 16.
Deputies found the men, aged 30 and 23, in a red Mitsubishi with “fresh dirt and mud on their clothing” and sweating. Further investigation uncovered the catalytic converters in the trunk of the Mitsubishi, after which the deputies called in the OCSO Auto Theft Unit and took the suspects to the Oakland County Jail.
Catalytic converters are a component of motor vehicle exhaust systems used to reduce exhaust emissions. Using metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium, converters neutralize harmful gases produced through the internal combustion process via a chemical reaction with the metals, releasing a neutralized and safer exhaust.
Since the converters use expensive metals as the catalyst — and the cost of these metals have only gone up during the COVID-19 pandemic — thieves target converters to sell them on the scrap market. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), recyclers can pay anywhere from $50 to $250.
Aside from expelling toxic and highly polluting gasses, some of the side effects of having your catalytic converter stolen include heat damage to vehicle components.
With catalytic converter theft skyrocketing during the pandemic — the NICB reported over 14,000 cases of stolen catalytic converters during 2020, versus 3,400 in 2019 — taking steps to prevent theft is not a bad idea. Some methods include engraving your car’s VIN on the converter and welding a “cat shield” around the converter. A cat shield is a strong-build aluminum plate designed to deter catalytic converter theft. Parking your car in a well-lit place or a garage can also deter thieves.