Over the past several months, catalytic converters have been a hot ticket item for thieves.
According to Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge, they have recorded 14 thefts and attempted thefts in the past two months.
“We currently have open and active investigations involving specific suspects. Those cases will be reviewed for charges.”
In Mower County, Sheriff Steve Sandvek said they really haven’t seen a whole lot of cases in their county. However, they encourage people to report any suspicious activity relating to their vehicles. And, they stay in touch with local salvage yards. With the recommendations for people to spray paint their name on catalytic converters, most salvage yards are not accepting these marked catalytic converters.
Houston County Sheriff Mark Inlet stated, “We have been pretty fortunate in Houston County. We have not had a converter theft reported to our agency since December 2020. That one remains unsolved.”
At the local salvage yards like Timm’s Auto Salvage in St. Charles, Minn., they saw one stolen catalytic converter about one year ago. Otherwise, they haven’t seen a lot of suspicious activity.
For Alter Metal Recycling in Riceville, Iowa, it’s a different story. They receive calls daily from law enforcement following up on leads for stolen vehicles and auto parts.
Before they received calls for catalytic converters, it was copper. There is always something getting stolen, and the salvage yards are on high alert.
According to the representative at Alter Metal Recycling, catalytic converters can range in value from $5 to $1,500. Usually the high-end diesel pickups have more expensive converters.
Both Sheriffs Sandvek and Inglett echoed DeGeorge’s suggestion for citizens.
Sheriff DeGeorge shared this message, “If you have abandoned or seldom used vehicles parked on your property, you can easily become a target for theft. We strongly recommend parking your vehicle in a secure garage or shed if possible. If you don’t have a building to park in, the use of security cameras, game cameras, and increased lighting around your vehicles can help deter thefts, and identify suspects. We urge the public to be vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Catalytic converter thefts from vehicles continue to happen throughout Southeast Minnesota. Not only are these thefts hard to track they can take place in mere minutes during the day or night, with the thieves using simple power tools. If you have abandoned or seldom used vehicles parked on your property, you can easily become a target for theft. We strongly recommend parking your vehicle in a secure garage or shed if possible. If you don’t have a building to park in, the use of security cameras, game cameras, and increased lighting around your vehicles can help deter thefts, and identify suspects. We urge the public to be vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.”