Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Uncovered in San Bernardino

Thanks to quick work by the San Bernardino Police Department, a ring of catalytic converter thieves has been stopped or at least badly damaged.  An attempted traffic stop in the City of San Bernardino led to a chase and ended with the discovery that the vehicle was stolen.

Following up on the stolen vehicle the police department executed a search of the home of the suspect who was found in possession of the stolen vehicle.  At that residence they found 150 stolen catalytic converters and $180,000 in cash.

Catalytic converter theft has become a major scourge in California.  A surge in the value of the precious metals in the devices which includes platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh) has led to the devices being targeted by thieves.  The scale of the increase in these crimes is hard to fathom as in some areas such as Los Angeles County it has more than tripled.

The catalytic converter is usually easy to access because it is exposed underneath the vehicle near the end of the exhaust system.  The devices can be stolen in a few minutes using rudimentary tools such as small metal cutting saws and a jack.

A stolen catalytic converter can fetch anywhere from $100 to $500 and are purchased by a variety of middlemen including junkyards, recyclers and others.  Most of these businesses pay cash and record keeping is not required nor is there oversight by any particular public agency.

“I would like to personally congratulate the City of San Bernardino Police Department and the officers directly involved for their great work on this case,”  said Mayor John Valdivia.  “This type of active community policing and patrols is helping keep our communities safe.  Something needs to be done however at the State level to make these thefts less attractive and less rewarding.”

The catalytic converter required on most gasoline or diesel powered vehicles helps to reduce airborne pollutants that could harm people as well as the environment and can reduce the release of harmful emissions by as much as 90%.