Catalytic converters not as appealing to thefts, Lubbock Police say, thanks to new state law
Published: Fri, 02/10/23
Catalytic converters not as appealing to thefts, Lubbock Police say, thanks to new state law
Everything Lubbock
by: Elizabeth Fitz
Posted:
Updated:
LUBBOCK, Texas — A decline in catalytic converter thefts over the last few months was likely related to a new state law that targets buyers, Lubbock Police Department said on Thursday.
LPD saw a total of 385 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2022.
“Catalytic converters attract thieves because they contain precious metals such as palladium, rhodium and platinum. They will take those catalytic converters and attempt to sell them at various markets in town to make a quick turn-a-round,” said Corporal Tony Leal with Lubbock Police Department’s Public Information Unit.
The department said surveillance video proves it takes “as little as 30 seconds for somebody to pull up to your vehicle, park behind it, get out, cut off your catalytic converter and then move on.”
However, LPD said thieves don’t seem to be as interested in this kind of car part anymore. The department only had 17 reports for last month, which was half of what it saw in January 2022.
Graph provided by Lubbock Police Department.
“In June of 2022, there were laws put into place that make it a little more difficult for catalytic converters that were stolen off of vehicles to be sold,” LPD explained. “The law stated that you have to identify or detail the vehicle that it came from, and also, the seller had to leave a thumbprint with the person buying the catalytic converter so that it could be better traced.”
The downward trend started in the second half of last year, reports showed.
“Most thieves don’t wanna leave their thumbprint when they’re selling their stolen merchandise and therefore, they’ll either go to the streets and try to sell ’em on the streets, or they’ll just avoid ’em at all costs,” Corporal Leal added.
The highest number of stolen catalytic converters in the Hub City last year came from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota pick-up trucks.
“In the event that you cannot park your vehicle in a garage, we recommend that you park it in a well-lit area and preferably, in an area that’s monitored by surveillance cameras,” the Public Information Unit suggested.
To report a stolen catalytic convertor, call LPD’s non-emergency line at (806) 775-2865.