In the last few weeks, there have been two reports of catalytic converters being stolen around Clarion off of three vehicles.
Clarion Chief of Police Steve TerHark said the thefts likely took place between Christmas and New Years. It is hard to pinpoint the dates precisely though as some of the vehicles had been sitting and had not been moved for a while.
Catalytic converters are often stolen due to the fact that they contain precious metals. This automobile part intended to filter out pollutants can contain platinum and rhodium. The black-market price for these metals, especially rhodium, has sky rocketed in the last year due to scarcity, says the Scientific American magazine. This has led to a huge uptick in their theft nationwide.
Chief TerHark added that these kinds of thefts have not been common to Clarion to date, though the Wright County Sheriff's Office said there have been some throughout the county in recent months. Throughout the area, however, catalytic converter theft is an increasing problem.
In a Facebook post in late November, the Mason City Police Department said, “Catalytic Converter theft is an ongoing problem in our region. Cordless power tools are commonly used in these cases and may be left behind by criminals. If you see or hear suspicious activity around parked vehicles, please call it in.”
In Clarion, TerHark said a variety of different vehicles were targeted. And considering it can take less than ten minutes to remove this part, he added that it’s hard to catch anyone in the act of theft. TerHark noted that if you’re a victim of catalytic converter theft, you’ll be able to tell right away as your vehicle will be very loud when you start it.
If you suspect your catalytic converter has been stolen, TerHark says to report it to the Clarion Police Department right away.
