Photo From Facebook
A still image from a video shared to Ansonia Facebook groups showing thieves trying to steal a catalytic converter. Anyone with info should call Ansonia police at 203 735 1885.
ANSONIA — Overnight thieves are again cutting catalytic converters from vehicles, police said.
“We’re seeing an uptick, again. Since Feb. 8 we’ve had five reported catalytic converter thefts,” Ansonia Police Lt. Patrick Lynch said Thursday (Feb. 10).
Thieves target the part in order to sell it to scrap yards. The crime has skyrocketed in the U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
Catalytic converters contain metals such as platinum, palladium, or rhodium, according to a March 2021 news advisory from the NICB, and the value of those metals has skyrocketed, too.
“As of December 2020, rhodium was valued at $14,500 per ounce, palladium at $2,336 per ounce, and platinum going for $1,061 per ounce. Typically, recyclers will pay $50 to $250 per catalytic converter, the NICB reported.
On average there were about 282 catalytic converter thefts per month across the country in 2018. In 2020 there were 1,203 per month, according to the NICB.
The Ansonia thefts are happening as people sleep. The thefts, which can happen in under a minute, often are not reported until the vehicle owner starts the vehicle.
“People start their cars in the morning and it sounds like the car is about the fall apart,” Lynch said.
There seems to be no real pattern, other than the thieves will target a block or two to focus on. They don’t seem to be targeting a specific make or model.
“They’re quick. They’re in, they’re out, they’re on their way,” Lynch said.
While catalytic converter thefts have received huge amounts of media coverage, Lynch said the thieves seem to be still finding scrap yards willing to turn a blind eye.
“Most of the scrap yards stay away from that because they understand what’s going on, but unfortunately there are still some out there that will take it,” Lynch said.
The recent Ansonia crimes happened on the west side, with another batch happening on the city’s hillside area.
A person caught stealing a single catalytic converter would probably get charged with fifth-degree larceny, which covers the theft of items valued from $500 to $1,000.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R‑Seymour) told The Valley Indy in a message Thursday that a bill to toughen penalties against catalytic converter thieves is in the earliest stage of discussion in Hartford.
Preventing the crime isn’t easy, but here are some tips from the NICB:
“Install a catalytic converter anti-theft device. These are available from various manufacturers and can provide a level of security from theft.
Park fleet vehicles in an enclosed and secured area that is well lit, locked, and alarmed.
Park personal vehicles in a garage. If not possible and vehicles must be parked in a driveway, consider installing motion sensor security lights. While lights may not provide complete security, it may make some thieves think twice, making them leave the area and your vehicle untouched.
Call local law enforcement and your insurer should you become the victim of a catalytic converter theft.
In some cases, this theft is covered by insurance. The optional comprehensive portion of your insurance policy, the portion that covers damage caused to your vehicle not caused by accident, covers this kind of loss.”
After sharing this article Thursday evening on Valley Indy Facebook, readers posted numerous other examples of recent catalytic converter thefts. Click here to read the Facebook post.
