Police say thieves are targeting catalytic converters at higher rate than ever

Houston – Thieves are targeting catalytic converters rather than any other car part at an unprecedented rate in Houston, leaving thousands of dollars in damage to victims.

Catalytic converters reduce vehicle emissions and have become the main target of thieves due to precious metals which are rare in the world.

All it takes is a battery-powered saw and “in less than five minutes it’s done,” according to Sgt. Tracy Hicks of the Houston Police Department.

A review of police data by KPRC 2 Investigates showed that the number of catalytic converter thefts in the city has jumped more than 2,000% since 2019, making them more targeted than tires, rims and hatchbacks.

In Harris County, there have been 2,160 thefts of catalytic converters in the past two years. The suburbs are not spared either.

Fort Bend County has reported 133 thefts in the past two years.

“It’s very common to see someone stop at a Starbucks for a cup of coffee and walk to their car 15 minutes later and be victimized,” said Sergeant Daniel Calvillo of the Sheriff’s Office. Fort Bend County.

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Data shows that these types of crimes do not depend on people parking at home.

Our analysis found that 43% of catalytic converter thefts occur in crowded commercial parking lots, such as stores and post offices.

Law enforcement officials told KPRC 2 investigation that regardless of the crime scene, thieves need a lot of noise to drown out the noise of their saws cutting parts.

Data shows that most catalytic converter thefts occur between five and six in the afternoon.

That’s because they rely on “big passing trucks, the siren of an ambulance, or just the noise of traffic” for cover, according to Hicks.

Victims of these crimes not only have to pay to replace the catalytic converter, but often have to make other repairs.

“They usually take an oxygen sensor … or they cut the fuel lines, and every time you take these things, you increase the cost of repairs,” said Jerry Strybos, owner of FMG Exhaust at Crosby.

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Strybos says he sees four or five vehicles a week walking into his store with missing catalytic converters.

In the case of Shelley Courtington, she had to have her truck repaired twice.

“I was hit in November and they flew both on the right side,” Courtington said.

When the thieves returned the second time around, they didn’t realize that she had spent over a thousand dollars on an alarm. Courtington says she chased the thief away before he finished the job, but didn’t see the fleeing driver in the process.

“About the time I turned around he just pulled over and came straight up, so I bailed out the dumpsters over there,” Courtington said. “He tried to hit me, he was literally going to knock me over. “

Data has shown that thieves target Toyota’s, primarily Tundra, Tacoma, and Priuse. This is because these vehicles have several converters with higher concentrations of precious metals. Data shows Ford and Chevrolet were the second and third most targeted.

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Police say people shouldn’t face thieves if they catch them red-handed. Hicks says there are ways to make it harder for people to shut off catalytic converters.

Watch a tutorial on some prevention methods here: