Catalytic converter thefts on the rise in Saskatchewan in 2022
Global News
Saskatchewan RCMP say they have received more than 100 reports of catalytic converter thefts so far in 2022, compared to just 30 last year during the same time period.
Thefts of a certain car part are on the rise in Saskatchewan, according to RCMP.
Saskatchewan RCMP say they have received more than 100 reports of catalytic converter thefts in RCMP jurisdiction so far in 2022. In comparison, they say they received just 30 such reports last year during the same time period from January to May.
A catalytic converter turns car exhaust into less harmful substances. Monica Deters, Saskatchewan RCMP crime prevention acting officer, says in some cases, owners have reportedly started their vehicles that had been stored away over the winter, only to find that their catalytic converter had been stolen over the winter months.
“Owners will typically report catalytic converter theft when they start up their vehicles and realize that something isn’t quite right and then they look under the vehicle and realize that the catalytic converter has generally been cut out,” Deters said.
Deters also says they have seen thefts in motor homes, car dealerships, compounds and other areas with a high volume of vehicles.
While the entire catalytic converter is often stolen, it’s mainly the insides made up of precious metals that are valued by thieves. These metals, mainly platinum, palladium and rhodium, are often sold to recyclers as their values have been increasing.
“There’s a lot of metals in catalytic converters that the price fluctuates on, but generally as of late the price has been higher, so that’s another reason that we think these crimes may be increasing.”
Kelly Miller, owner of Minute Muffler on Victoria Avenue, says he gets calls about stolen catalytic converters and their replacements far too often.