Catalytic Converter Stolen From Car At Manalapan Tire Store

MANALAPAN, NJ — A catalytic converter worth $2,000 was stolen from a vehicle parked overnight at an area tire store, police here said.

On Sept. 18, employees of Mr. Tire, Route 9 in Manalapan, reported that someone had removed a catalytic converter, valued at approximately $2,000, from a vehicle during the overnight hours between Sept. 17 and the morning of Sept. 18.

Patrolman Anthony Cascella handled the report, which is pending further investigation.

According to a May 2023 report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, there has been an ever increasing rate of thefts of catalytic converters nationally. Based on insurance claims, thefts of catalytic converters increased significantly from 2020 through 2022. Insurance claims for these thefts increased from 16,660 claims in 2020 to 64,701 in 2022.

In the Northeast, Pennsylvania has the highest number of such thefts, at 2,757, the bureau reported.

According to the bureau website, a catalytic converter is a device that looks like a small muffler along the exhaust system. It is designed to convert the environmentally hazardous exhaust emitted by the engine and convert them into less harmful gasses. To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium, all valuable precious metals.