My wife just looked in our local newspaper's police log (in Arkansas) and saw two victims of theft, for catalytic converters.

submitted by In-the-clouds from (self.AskSaidIt)

I didn't realize how common this theft is. Do you see this in your area?

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[–]ID10T 6 insightful - 4 fun6 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

Where you been man? This is one of the most common types of theft across the country. Here's a fun one: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/catalytic-converter-thief-run-over-by-car-he-attempted-to-steal-from-sheriffs-department/

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

Wow. A catalytic converter is not worth dying over.

[–]Evola 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I depends on the value of the person.

[–]Drewski 7 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

They stole one off my buddy's car right in his driveway.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

And then someone, like a metal recycling business, probably bought it. The buyers of the stolen catalytic converters should know that something is amiss. How can they not know they are buying stolen property?

The love of money is the root of all evil.

[–]Zapped 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There are safeguards to keep thieves from selling them, but crooked recyclers will take them from thieves for less than they pay auto mechanics or legitimate customers.

[–]Kephart 6 insightful - 3 fun6 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

Yep. There was a ring that was brazen enough to cut them out of cars in the movie theater parking lot.

[–]1Icemonkey 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

All the time. It’s tweakers and gooks who mostly do it.

[–]Airbus320 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Maybe n's too

[–]1Icemonkey 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Fully niggers.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Yes, this is a very common crime, catalytic converters use platinum and other precious metals, are worth a few hundred bucks on the black market, and can be removed from a car very quickly with the right tools. As far as thefts go, this has a decent monetary return for relatively little risk (compared to other means of robbery, obviously crime is inherently risky), its not hard to see why this type of crime has become increasingly common, especially with the economy and inflation making it harder for people to make ends meet for people working low-income jobs

[–]Zapped 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It's usually factory installed cats, since they have to be super efficient to meet the EPA standards. An aftermarket cat has much less of the platinum inside, and therefore not nearly as valuable. Toyota Prius' are one of the priciest to replace.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yep, you are absolutely right.

[–]Threesrwild 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yep. The local UPS facility was hit and eleven trucks had theirs stolen. Sounded like a drag race in the neighborhood for days.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wow. The trucks were probably easier for the thieves to get under, without having to jack them up. I wonder if the drivers felt humiliated driving around with loud trucks. They probably got a lot of stares. "What's wrong with your truck?"

[–]Canbot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

2? Just 2?

You and I have a very diferent definition of common. Usually 1 crininal will keep committing crimes. Just 1 criminal is normally responsible for dozens of theafts before they get caught. It could be hundreds in a big city where the cops don't give a fuck.

I live in chicago, so yes it's common. My brother bought a truck and the first thing he did was weld a rebar cage around the cat. They cut through it and stole it anyway.

It comes in waves. The gangs work a neighborhood and move on before the vigilantees get organized.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Before this post, I posted about other catalytic converters being stolen, including a news story from your city (Chicago.)

I told my wife about what I read in Chicago and that's when she told me she reads about it here in Arkansas, too. She has been seeing in the police log stolen catalytic converters also on other days, not just today. I did not know much about this until I started reading and hearing more about it and realized this is getting to be a common crime. To me, it's a strange activity and I'm sorry that the people of our own nation act like this.

That seems extreme that thieves cut through a rebar cage to get your brother's catalytic converter!