The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office put out a warning that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise in our area.

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Catalytic Converter Theft on the Rise in Evansville Area

According to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, catalytic converter thefts are on the rise nationally, and they've noticed an uptick in these thefts locally.    Sheriff Dave Wedding wants to make sure the community is aware of this trend.  the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a catalytic converter theft that took place off St. Joe, and the Evansville Police Department is investing a number of catalytic converter thefts to the tune of 13 just since March!

Why Catalytic Converters?

If you're like me, when you first heard of catalytic converter thefts, you probably began wondering, why?  Why would people steal this piece off your vehicle?  It turns out the metal used in catalytic converters can be worth a good chunk of change at a scrap yard.  So people will steal these and then flip them for money.

Ways to Protect Yourself from Theft

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office shared a few ways to keep yourself protected from catalytic converter theft, here are a few suggestions they shared:

A quick internet search will reveal a range of options for discouraging catalytic converter theft. Steel shields or cages that fit over the catalytic converter can make removal difficult without sufficient time and tools (which a thief may not have). Alternatively, stainless steel cables can be welded from the catalytic converter to the vehicle.

Lt. Noah Robinson explained, “These solutions may not be practical or cost effective for smaller vehicles, but could make sense for full-size trucks and that are frequent targets. The cheapest deterrent is a motion-activated light near where the vehicle is parked.”

 

Has Your Catalytic Converter Been Stolen?

You may be wondering, how would you know if your catalytic converter was stolen?  The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office explains that you would know pretty quickly after starting your vehicle.  They say the catalytic converter is located in the middle of the vehicle, so when you start it, the motor will sound very loud, almost like you lost your muffler.  That's one indicator that your catalytic converter may have been stolen.  If you notice yours has been stolen, call 911 and they will come to investigate.