Catalytic Converters Stolen From Chatham Cars, Police Say

CHATHAM, NJ - Several catalytic converters were stolen in Chatham Borough last week, authorities said.

Though it wasn’t clear when or where the thefts occurred, Chatham police are now encouraging all residents to install catalytic converter anti-theft devices like cage or steel plates to curb future crime.

Residents are also encouraged to install an alarm to detect any tampering with cars, engrave vehicle identification and phone numbers on catalytic converters and spray catalytic converters with high-temperature automotive paint.

Police also recommend that people with vehicles park in well-lit areas, or in a garage if possible.

There has been a staggering increase in thefts of catalytic converters nationwide in recent years, according to federal data.

Per a report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, in 2018, there were 1,298 catalytic converter thefts for which a claim was filed. In 2019, there were 3,389 thefts with a claim.

In 2020, catalytic converter theft claims jumped massively to 14,433, a 325 percent increase in a single year, the bureau said.

Experts say that the price of the metals in the converters has been rising, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Recycling facilities will pay for the converters.

Thieves can cut them out of the bottom of vehicles in a matter of minutes, particularly larger vehicles that are easy to crawl under, even including school buses, experts say.

Earlier this year, new legislation (S249) was enacted in New Jersey changing certain regulations for the sale and purchase of catalytic converters.

It includes allowing scrap metal businesses to only buy used catalytic converters from a registered business, and requiring added verification of ownership when selling used catalytic converters to scrap metal businesses.

The New Jersey law requires the business to document the vehicle identification number, the certificate of title or registration, a receipt from a repair transaction, or a bill of sale when purchasing a used catalytic converter or face a fine.

- With reporting by Caren Lissner and Pat McDaniel.