What are catalytic converters and why are thieves in southwest Illinois stealing them?

Car owners across the country are daily becoming victims of catalytic converter thefts and the metro-east has not been spared.

Through the first half of 2021, according to State Farm Insurance claims data, Illinois has had the fifth most catalytic converter thefts of the nation’s 50 states.

Catalytic converters are control devices located between a car’s engine and muffler that convert toxic gases and pollutants into less-harmful emissions. The device is expensive; it generally can cost up to $3,000 to replace.

They have become a target for thieves because they are relatively easy to access and remove, and are valuable because of the precious metals used in their construction.

Capt. Bruce Fleshren of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said catalytic converter thefts are an on-going problem in the metro-east.

“Catalytic converters are showing up in scrap yards,” Fleshren said. “We’re trying to determine who is actually taking them there and whether thieves are legitimately taking them to scrap yards. They get passed through various hands and somehow someone takes them there and cashes them in for money.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), there has been an increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout the U.S. since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news release from the NICB, President and CEO David Glowe said as the value of the precious metals contained within the catalytic converters continues to increase, so do the number of thefts.

Those metals include platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

Belleville School Transportation Services was robbed of five catalytic converters last month. The school buses were parked in the company’s lot on Mascoutah Avenue when thieves made their move.

Mechanic and shop manager Bob Overbey said the thefts happened overnight.

“We noticed our fence was cut so we began to look around because we didn’t know what to expect,” Overbey said. “Then one of the bus drivers started a bus that morning and it was really loud so that’s when we knew the catalytic converters were stolen.”

Overbey said he believes the thieves were able to steal five catalytic converters because it doesn’t take a long time to saw off the device. He guessed it took no more than 20 minutes.

He said there’s really no way to prevent an incident like this from happening again but he and the bus company are taking initiative to deter the thieves.

“We have security cameras up now which we didn’t have before. The week we discovered the catalytic converters were missing, myself and the other mechanics took turns watching the lot from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. At this point we’ve been lucky they haven’t come back.”

Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon said the city has faced an increase in catalytic converter thefts in the last 4 to 6 months.

“In Columbia, we’re finding that they’re targeting work trucks and I think the reason is because the work trucks will be parked overnight on a vacant lot as they’re waiting for construction the next day,” said Donjon.

Trucks and SUVs are the main target for thieves because it is easy for them to fit under the vehicle to access the catalytic converter.

Capt. Mark Heffernan of the Belleville Police Department advises residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately.

“Suspicious activity in this circumstance may be automotive shop-type sounds at odd hours,” Heffernan said. “Most of these type of thefts occur overnight.”

Assistant Chief Brett Boerm of the Collinsville Police Department said parking in well-lit areas may be beneficial to prevent becoming a victim of a catalytic converter theft.

“To my knowledge it only takes a few minutes to get underneath a car, cut the converter off, and get back to secure parking lots where surveillance cameras are present.”