Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft With Tips From Wall Police Video

WALL, NJ — If a picture is worth a thousand words, a social media video - in this case about catalytic converter thefts - is surely worth even more.

And the Wall Police Department has produced an informative, brief video about why your car's catalytic converter is at risk for theft and some ways you can make your car less prone to thieves.

Police Officer Karleigh Cacciatore introduces Det. Lt. Michael Steitz who explains how the precious metals in the converters work to improve emissions - but these metals also make the auto part tempting to thieves. You can watch the video here.

Catalytic converter thefts continue to plague our area, the police say.

And they urge residents to be vigilant and report any unusual sounds, such as loud sawing or grinding noises coming from parked vehicles. Reporting odd activity to the police could prevent a theft.

Some other tips:

• Park under motion sensor lights and/or cameras.
• Park in your garage.
• Consider catalytic converter screens or cages.
• And, again, report any unusual sounds from power tools or sawing.

Wall has increased patrols, deployed license plate readers, educates the community - as in the recent community crime forum - and works with outside agencies, according to the video.

Just this month, an alert neighbor called police after seeing suspicious activity and a catalytic converter theft was thwarted.

Catalytic converters continue to be targeted by thieves, according to a May 2023 report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Insurance claims for these thefts increased from 16,660 claims in 2020 to 64,701 in 2022, it noted.

According to the bureau website, a catalytic converter is designed to convert the environmentally hazardous exhaust emitted by the engine and convert it into less harmful gasses.

To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium, all valuable precious metals.

Catalytic converters are normally valued between $1,000 and $2,000.