“It was absolutely an epidemic. Not just in Blaine but state and countrywide,” said Johnson.
Part of the problem for law enforcement, is proving which converters have been stolen. Without serial numbers on the part, it’s hard to tell.
“Without any sort of identification numbers on anything, obviously somebody only has to say that they didn’t know it was stolen when they purchased it or they didn’t know it was stolen when they brought it into the scrap metal recycler. And that goes for the scrap metal recycler as well. They’re required to keep documentation. But the documentation is only as good as the information that they’re getting.”
Local police are suggesting a way you can help prevent the theft by making converters less appealing to thieves. With an engraving tool that cost $25 to $65, they suggest etching the last 8 digits of the vehicle identification number on the converter. Also, high temperature automotive exhaust paint can alert thieves to move on. The bright red color should be a warning flag to recyclers.
“You should assume these are stolen if something comes in that is brightly colored or clearly altered to get the paint off of it, that should be a red flag, and {recyclers} shouldn’t buy this,” said Johnson.
Officers say other common sense rules also apply, like parking in a well lit area with a security camera, but nothing is really fool-proof.
“The unfortunate part of the matter is that if somebody is determined to get your converter, it takes them about two or three minutes to do it,” said Johnson. “But there’s no need to make it any easier for them.”
Police groups are pushing automakers to put identification numbers on converters at the factory, but that could be years away. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the work yourself, an auto theft investigators group says many repair shops can do it as well.
