Catalytic converter thefts have increased 1,000% in the past two years, the National Insurance Crime Bureau said. Here's what Hoosiers can do about it.
It was warm outside when Brandy Ellinger, 34, got into her car to head to work. She turned her key and that's when she heard it — an overbearing rumbling noise. She knew catalytic converter thefts had been a problem on her street, and the noise confirmed her worst fears: her converter had been stolen.
. It changes harmful chemicals, like carbon monoxide, into substances that are healthier for people to breathe, like water vapor and carbon dioxide. The part is located between the engine and the muffler.The converters can be sold to scrap or recycling buyers for anywhere from $50 to $250, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, but it's the metals inside that are the most valuable.
Every car has differing amounts of the metals inside their converters, he said. Cars that are higher off the ground may be targeted because they're easier to get under, but certain cars, like Hyundais and Hondas, have larger amounts of the valuable metals in them, Medlen said, making them targets as well.
There are solutions, like cages that can be built around the converter. But those cages can cost anywhere from $300 to $600, so car owners have to gamble whether it's worth it or not, Medlen said. IMPD Captain Steven Ferklic has seen catalytic converters taken across central Indiana and even Kentucky to be sold, he said Aug. 17. In the past two or three years, he's noticed an uptick in the thefts.