‘It’s a lot of money’: More catalytic converters being stolen during pandemic, police say

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said thieves appear to be on the hunt for catalytic converters once again.

The vehicle parts turn harmful pollution into less harmful emissions.

A woman Channel 9 spoke with on Wednesday said a theft recently happened outside her home in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood.

“My Prius was an old model Prius, first generation Prius -- 2008,” she told reporter Anthony Kustura. “The streetlight was out, porch light was off, no lights in the area.”

She said she heard noise coming from her driveway and looked out the window. That’s when she saw someone on the ground and, within seconds, that person jumped into a car with someone else and sped off.

“The catalytic converter had been taken and on the ground was a metal coupling, a bolt and a spring,” she said.

If a catalytic converter is stolen, drivers will know it as soon as they start their cars -- it creates a very loud noise. And the repair is expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000.

“It is a lot of money. The part itself is $2,500,” the woman said.

Stolen catalytic converters are often untraceable, making it difficult for police to tie them to thefts. The parts contain precious metals, which CMPD believes the suspects are selling for scraps.

It’s a trend the department said started to spike during the pandemic. In all, CMPD is reporting a 236% combined increase in the thefts from January and February compared to the same time last year.

The woman Channel 9 spoke with said she is fixing her car and then selling it. As for the people who stole her catalytic converter, she said, “I feel certain that they will reap what they sow.”

So many catalytic converter thefts are happening across the nation that the part is currently on backorder at many auto shops.

Catalytic Converter Thefts Becoming Big Problem For Police, Victims In Charlotte Catalytic Converter Thefts Becoming Big Problem For Police, Victims In Charlotte

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