Thieves targeting car exhaust systems for scrap metal

The sound was deafening.

After getting off a train at the Arlington Park Metra Station, Eileen St. Clair walked to her truck, hopped inside, turned the ignition - and got the scare of her life.

"I thought it was going to blow up," the Palatine woman said of the loud boom that followed. "It sounded like when your muffler goes bad, but 100 times worse."

The next day, with her Toyota Tacoma jacked up at an auto repair shop, St. Clair learned what happened: She was the victim not of a mechanical failure but of a growing crime wave.

A portion of the exhaust system, the catalytic converter, had been stolen right out from under her truck.

Since the trend is relatively new, no firm statistics on the thefts are being kept. But those in law enforcement, insurance, scrap metal recycling and auto repair circles all attest that catalytic converter thefts are on the rise.

In-dash stereos, hubcaps and even air bags have all taken their turn as prime robbery targets. But lately, the converter has become the coveted "get" for thieves.

They're less interested in the equipment's anti-pollution abilities than in the precious metals tucked inside.

Catalytic converters

Required in cars made after 1975, a catalytic converter breaks down and cleans exhaust chemicals before they're emitted. The EPA calls it the most important pollution-control device on a car.

As exhaust gases pass over metal catalysts inside, they promote chemical reactions that convert pollutants into harmless gases and water.

It's those metal catalysts that interest thieves.

Inside a converter are traces of platinum, palladium and rhodium - some of the priciest metals in the world.

"Those metals are highly susceptible to being stolen," said Bruce Savage, vice president of communications for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries based in Washington, D.C.

In January 2006, the price of rhodium was about $3,000 an ounce. Now it tops $10,000.

Platinum's value has also risen dramatically. In April 2003, it was valued at just over $600 an ounce. Now it's more than $2,000.

Thefts on the rise

In the past year, multiple suburbs - including Addison, Arlington Heights, Bensenville, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Gurnee, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Schaumburg and Wheeling - have all had reports of catalytic converter thefts.

The trend is new enough that many police forces don't keep detailed statistics on how many converters are stolen. But officials say it's clear the numbers are rising.

A converter theft spree in Naperville got so bad that the local Crime Stoppers began offering cash rewards for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Over a week in January, Naperville police Cmdr. Dave Hoffman said six converters were stolen from vehicles in apartment, business and commuter parking lots.

"The pattern and quantity we saw in January was new for us," he said.

SUVs, which have larger converters, and hence more precious metals, were the most targeted.

Last October, authorities in Schaumburg charged a Chicago man who they said was caught in the act of stealing more than 50 converters from a local dealership.

While patrolling the dealership lot, Schaumburg Sgt. John Nebl said officers found Adrian Shackelford, then 25, hiding under a car, with the converters laying nearby.

In all, police say he removed 56 converters, valued at $54,346, from vehicles at the dealership.

Shackelford has since pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months probation and fined $535, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office.

National Insurance Crime Bureau spokesman Frank Scafidi said he too has seen a rise in converter thefts.

"From talking to our field agents all over the country, they are seeing and hearing about a lot more incidents," he said.

Part of what entices thieves is that, unlike a stereo or air bag, a converter can be stolen without breaking into the car.

They're located underneath vehicles and, Scafidi said, can be quickly removed with a power saw.

From there, it's off to a scrap yard where converters sell for anywhere from $50 to $150.

Protection?

To make those in the industry more aware of the problem, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries issues alerts to its members when any type of scrap metal is reported stolen.

"Catalytic converters are showing up more and more in those alerts," said Savage, the institute spokesman. "It is one of those emerging trends we are trying to sensitize our members to."

Among the tips the institute gives to scrap metal dealers is to keep detailed records, including copies of picture IDs, of all those who bring converters in to sell.

"That way, if it does come back stolen, we can trace it," Savage said.

Several suburban scrap yards reached by phone declined to comment on the issue.

But Nikki Niebuhr, of American Scrap Metal Service in Arlington Heights, said they get calls all the time asking if they're interested in buying converters.

"We aren't really accepting them because we know most of them are stolen," she said.

While new products are being developed to lock converters into place, Scafidi admitted the theft is hard to prevent.

"Short of putting your car in a concrete (box), I don't know what you can do," he said.

Police say the key is to be aware of what's going on around you, especially in a parking lot.

"People have to be alert for suspicious activities," Naperville's Hoffman said.

Nebl, of the Schaumburg force, said it's OK to be suspicious if you see someone working underneath a car or truck during the day.

"Don't assume they are just working on their own car," he said.

For those like St. Clair who are forced to go through the ordeal, it can be not only frustrating but costly as well.

The cost of replacing a converter can run from $400 to $1,500 depending on the car. Some thefts are covered under certain comprehensive auto insurance policies.

Without a catalytic converter, a vehicle is certain to fail its state-required emissions test and cause problems for drivers with the secretary of state's office.

"You can't get your license renewed, so you better find a new catalytic converter," said Jill Watson, spokeswoman for the Illinois EPA, on what happens if a vehicle fails the emissions test.

St Clair wished she had some advice to protect others.

"This happened in broad daylight, and I wasn't the only one that day," she said. "It can happen to anyone."