![]() Catalytic converter theft is hard to investigate ![]() Thieves sell the converters, which can be removed in minutes with an electric saw, for $50 to $250, the bureau wrote in a statement. Hondas and Toyotas, particularly older Priuses, are most often targeted, according to claims data provided by the AAA Automobile Club of Southern California: Hybrids have two converters and the parts tend to get less wear, making them more valuable, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Nationally, 37% of catalytic converter theft claims tracked by the bureau in 2021 were in the Golden State - a disproportionate share, even accounting for California’s large population.Ībout 1,600 are stolen per month in California, per a 2021 presentation from the state’s Bureau of Automotive Repair. The bureau sampled member company claims data to identify catalytic converter theft trends, and a spokesperson wrote in a statement that the numbers don’t represent all thefts. As of September, he still hadn’t heard anything from the police, he said.Ĭatalytic converter theft has spiked across the country in recent years, from 1,298 reported thefts in 2018 to 52,206 in 2021, according to claims data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. He forked over another $150 to get a protective gate installed over his converter, hoping to deter future would-be thieves - and spent between $6,000 and $8,000 on an upgraded home security system, he estimates. On top of everything, it was his birthday.Īgyeman paid $500 for the repair, and his insurance covered the rest. He filed a police report, sent them the footage and called his insurance company. This time, he caught the whole thing on camera. It was the second time Agyeman’s catalytic converter - which scrubs a car’s emissions to make them less toxic and contains precious metals - had been stolen. ![]() After a few mechanical roars and a quick scoot out from under the car, all three hurry away. One person is under the hatchback, another is by its side and a third is stationed nearby. A beam of light glints beneath Isaac Agyeman’s 2009 Prius, parked outside his Temecula home early one August morning. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |