14 ms·

This is happening more and more frequently in my locale. Several of my friends and many of my neighbors have had their catalytic converters stolen. It's good t

This is happening more and more frequently in my locale. Several of my friends and many of my neighbors have had their catalytic converters stolen. It's good to see something is done. Let's hope this steamrolls into a nationwide manhunt for these criminals. They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts. Making it extremely difficult to fence these things will be practical and useful because they aren't sold and reused as is - the rare earth metals are extracted. Something your average criminal won't be capable of doing in their garage.

User23 4y ago
It used to be that back when local cops cared about property crime this was standard operating procedure. When I was a kid if you etched a serial number into your bike frame and parts and registered it with the local PD you were practically assured you’d get your bike back when it inevitably showed up at a pawn shop or similar.
- rydifyrhffh 4y ago
  I'm curious where you live that they don't still care tbh. In my experience police do what they're allowed that will be effective. But if you have a DA who refuses to prosecute people or you pass local laws that make doing their job in a manner that gets results impossible then they tend not to waste their time.
  - magicalist 4y ago
    If you've never experienced the indifference of a cop taking a property crime report and the complete lack of follow up, just pick a place and you can look at non-violent crime clearance rate. They really don't care.
    - rydifyrhffh 4y ago
      As it happens I experienced exactly this scenario when a homeless person broke into my house while I was asleep, stole a bunch of stuff, and then made off with my car. The cop certainly didn't solve all my problems but they were clear about what they needed to know and what I'd need to do if I wanted to hear back from the city when the person was found. If the police in your area don't care it seems far more likely that they either don't feel allowed to police effectively or they feel their efforts will be wasted.
    - brian_cunnie 4y ago
      > They [the police] really don't care I don't think it's something you can lay at the feet of the SF Police Department. I asked Pete McLaughlin, SFPD (retired), why the police don't go after bike thieves more aggressively. "Our hands are tied," he said. "They [the thieves] know the most we can do is give them a citation, and they'll be out that afternoon." California has a history of being lenient with non-violent crime, which is appropriate in some cases, but maybe not in others. Maybe leniency is the wrong approach for some of these bike thieves. But it's complicated. I heard Jerry Brown (former California Governor) talk about how ~10% of the state budget goes to prisons, and he's not comfortable with such a large amount, and I agree--throwing people in jail is expensive!
      - mrguyorama 4y ago
        Asking a cop about why they didn't do their job is like asking a dev how their bug ended up in prod. You'll get an answer, but it will neither sate your desire for improvement, or actually shed light on any systemic issues.
  - dymk 4y ago
    If the DA doesn’t care, the cop doesn’t care.
    - astrange 4y ago
      The trick is that the cops can stop caring and everyone will blame the DA; it's similar to how voters always think "crime" is increasing recently no matter the actual statistics or how safe the area they live in is. American police are similar to a permanent paramilitary class like Janissaries or samurai. The local governments don't actually control them and as a civilian encountering them means they may kill you for honor violations.
      - jprd 4y ago
        All day this. Go ahead and try to find the guidelines, charter, mission, etc. for any municipality policing force. If there is one. Now try and define the actual jurisdiction they have, and the _requirements_ for fulfilling their charge. How many US citizens younger than 70, without FU $$, do not immediately act like they need to be on their "best behavior" when a Uniformed Officer drives (or less likely, walks/bikes) through? Now add any attribute that makes you stick out from the rest of the community. Does it still feel like they are there to protect you? Skin color? Religious attire that isn't a suit w/tie or a dress? Hair color? Music? Having way too much fun in a public place while being younger than 30? Here's a good place to start: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/545/748/#tab-opinion-1961907 https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/545/748/#tab-opi...
  - Test0129 4y ago
    Where I live they don't even send police for non-injury accidents anymore. Even if there's a hit and run no police get sent. Property crimes don't matter anymore. When my friends got their catalytic converters stolen the police never even bothered to show up. Taking statements may not get their cats back, but it goes towards building up a large enough case to justify a unit to handle it. You are correct though. Our DA is a "soft on crime" type. As a result, all forms of criminal behavior have increased dramatically in the last several years.
    - astrange 4y ago
      SF recalled their supposedly "not hard on crime" DA, mostly because he offended the local Asian voters, but the new supposedly "hard on crime" DA in practice doesn't seem to be having much effect. Similarly Chesa didn't oversee Oakland or any other nearby areas but I've still seen people who live there blame things on him. People generally have no idea how much crime there is. If you asked most people which of NYC and Oklahoma is safer they'd get it wrong whether or not they lived there.
      - olliej 4y ago
        No they recalled him because he was refusing to prosecute anyone for anything because he was mad that his terrorist parents were in jail for being terrorists. There is a wide gap between liberal “people shouldn’t go to jail because they were on drugs while poor” and “no one should be prosecuted for anything”
        astrange 4y ago
        He charged people more often than the previous DA. Like I said, nobody actually looks at any of the numbers here. https://missionlocal.org/2022/04/chesa-boudin-files-more-charges/ https://missionlocal.org/2022/04/chesa-boudin-files-more-cha... But he was insensitive in public when there was a wave of anti-Asian crimes, and turnout was low in his initial election. Not sure about the recall.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
  - olliej 4y ago
    State your sources if you’re taking the position that police solve crime. If you’re referring to that SF DA that was refusing to prosecute people that was a case where their public platform was to stop over criminalizing but it turned out that their parents were terrorists and they just wanted them out of jail.
  - alar44 4y ago
    Real life isn't a detective show. Cops don't task resources with hunting down your stolen TV. At best, you may get it back when someone tries to sell it to a pawn shop.
    - dsfyu404ed 4y ago
      More like you get it back when the drug dealer who's thieving client trades it to him in lieu of cash gets busted and the cops comb his apartment looking for anything else they can charge him with and check the serial vs their list.
      - bombcar 4y ago
        There’s really only three reasons (or four) to report theft: 1. It’s serialized and you want it on the recovery lists 2. You need the report for an insurance claim 3. You want to be counted in statistics used to determine policing levels 4. The item could be used in a crime and you want to be cleared (think stolen car, stolen gun)
- midoridensha 4y ago
  It's still like that here in Japan: bikes are all registered with the police and have stickers with their registration numbers. When they're stolen (which is usually done by drunk people wanting a quick ride home, or teenagers using them for joyrides) and recovered, the police will bring the bike back to the registered owner. Usually, the best way to avoid theft is to simply lock your bike's rear wheel so it can't be ridden away easily.
- adrr 4y ago
  Why was property crime much higher back then? We’re at historic lows. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
  - User23 4y ago
    When the cops don’t show up to take a report it doesn’t show up in crime report statistics.
    - adrr 4y ago
      Do you have data backing that up? The data is all FOIA-able like calls to the police department and dispatch data. There's also insurance claim data which requires a police report.
      - Rebelgecko 4y ago
        Does FOIA data include how many calls the police don't pick up? I've literally never gotten an answer when calling my local PD's non-emergency number
        adrr 4y ago
        Assume you could get the raw phone log including non answers. I thought they had voice mailboxes?
        Rebelgecko 4y ago
        LAPD doesn't. Although I've since learned that supposedly the trick is to call their Spanish non-emergency number since all the operators are bilingual anyways and there's lower call volume.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - Gareth321 4y ago
kazinator 4y ago
It's literally "going out of style". Gotta get all the cat converters you can before all the cars are electric!
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- TheLoafOfBread 4y ago
  Batteries will get stolen for same reason.
  - gpm 4y ago
    I doubt it. Catalytic converters are stolen because they're valuable and easy to make off with. Car batteries are frickin giant, and if you try and take only a piece you get a giant fire instead of a valuable source of rare metals. They don't seem like a great thing to steal.
    - dimitrios1 4y ago
      You are really discounting the ingenuity of criminals. If they can steal 4 tires with wheel locks off your car, they can steal your undercarriage battery.
      - MBCook 4y ago
        It’s THOUSANDS of pounds. It’s not a trivial operation. It may happen, but it will never be anywhere near as common as cat theft. One is safe, trivial, fast, and pays a lot. The other is extremely difficult, possibly lethal, and can’t easily be melted down for profit like a cat.
        dylan604 4y ago
        As connected as modern EV cars are, stealing one would seem like a dumb decision since they'll know exactly where the car is. I know chop shops are quick, but I still wouldn't want to knowingly bring something with tracking devices into my criminal lair.
humanistbot 4y ago
> They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts. Making it extremely difficult to fence these things will be practical and useful because they aren't sold and reused as is California just passed a law to this end, which is pretty straightforward and effectively turns the grey market into a black market. A black market will still exist, but it will be a lot harder for legitimate junkyards, auto repair shops, and recycling facilities to look the other way. It basically mandates KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for companies that buy or sell catalytic converters, and it makes buying or selling a catalytic converter without documentation that it was obtained legally a crime. It won't completely eliminate the problem, and it'll be harder unless Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico also take similar steps. But it should also enable more targeting and auditing. One part of this case was filed in California, so I bet they had some kind of sting operation that was made a lot easier when they can lean on a low-level junkyard dealer to testify against the people higher up in the black market. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-25/newsom-signs-catalytic-converter-bills https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-25/newsom-s...
- catiopatio 4y ago
  > It basically mandates KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for companies that buy or sell catalytic converters, and it makes buying or selling a catalytic converter without documentation that it was obtained legally a crime. This is worse than the original problem. When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? Effective, privacy-preserving law enforcement is difficult. That doesn’t mean we should cut corners through ever-increasing state oversight targeted at the latest symptoms of criminality. The choice isn’t between laws like this and having your catalytic converter stolen. The choice is between law enforcement actually doing their job, or invasive and ineffectual laws like this. The justice department, in the very article we’re discussing, investigated and took down this ring without California’s new “KYC” regulations.
  - hack_edu 4y ago
    > When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? After Timothy McVeigh blew up a building with a truck full of agricultural supplies.
giantg2 4y ago
They already have a lot of scrutiny on used catalytic converters. It sounds like this ring might have been smelting the precious scrap.
- SoftTalker 4y ago
  Yeah it happened to my car like 6 or 8 years ago. I called around to salvage yards to try to buy a used exhaust. I needed basically everything from the manifold back due to where the thief made his cuts. Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. I had to buy a new aftermarket exhaust or a new one from the dealer.
  - Melting_Harps 4y ago
    > Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. This is uniquely a CA issue, some after-market vendors wont even sip to CA/NY; however, most states will allow you to retrieve them from junked cars and will personally do that for you if you are willing to pay for their time--most have pick a part solutions as it's cheaper on labour to do it that way since dismantling/sorting/testing is very labour/time intensive. I bought a few ex manifolds and cats for several cars from other states and shipped into CA when I worked in the auto industry, it just wasn't cheap. Because good luck getting a decent ex manifold for a 1968 BMW 2002 or 1991 850i from Bavaria and you will soon be so sticker shocked you will pay whatever it takes to get it state-side, especially since one of those cars is smog-exempt and the dealer is charging you every hour your car is taking up a rack waiting for the RO to be completed.
  - dsfyu404ed 4y ago
    >Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. This is a long standing emissions law thing that predates theft issues. They want people to drop big coin on something (be that an exhaust system or a vehicle financed at a borderline usury rate from the local BHPH lot) that will be in compliance for awhile rather than slap a used cat on that will barely pass the test and go out of compliance shortly thereafter.
bcrosby95 4y ago
My mother-in-law's neighborhood has had 5 stolen in the past couple of months. And it isn't that big of a neighborhood. Maybe 50 houses in total?
gmiller123456 4y ago
They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts In this case they took out the palladium and sold it to a refinery. Also, VINed parts, like airbags, have been found being shipped to countries that don't care about or can't enforce the sale of them. So, it'd eat into some of the criminal's profits, but probably not enough to significantly reduce theft. So efforts are likely better spent elsewhere.
- cdr 4y ago
  The kingpin at the top of the food chain sold the metals to a refinery. There were many levels below him of catalytic converters being bought and sold before they got to the kingpin.
grogenaut 4y ago
install a cat shield aka a plate that covers your cat. Mine got stolen, a shield was $350, they totaled the car for over $3500 by taking the cat if I would have fixed it due to fucking up the exhaust pipes and o2 sensor.
- reducesuffering 4y ago
  Shield is only a possible time-lengthening deterrent. I installed one and my cat was still stolen. I can't say how many attempts it deterred in the mean time, if at all.
  - grogenaut 4y ago
    interesting that's a determined thief. the one who got my cat just used a sawzall.
seanmcdirmid 4y ago
I heard that stolen cats are sent by the rings to China for recycling/extraction. So just looking at domestic resellers isn’t going to help much, and you need to start peeking into shipping containers that head back to China usually very empty.
Haga 4y ago

User23 4y ago

It used to be that back when local cops cared about property crime this was standard operating procedure. When I was a kid if you etched a serial number into your bike frame and parts and registered it with the local PD you were practically assured you’d get your bike back when it inevitably showed up at a pawn shop or similar.

rydifyrhffh 4y ago
I'm curious where you live that they don't still care tbh. In my experience police do what they're allowed that will be effective. But if you have a DA who refuses to prosecute people or you pass local laws that make doing their job in a manner that gets results impossible then they tend not to waste their time.
- magicalist 4y ago
  If you've never experienced the indifference of a cop taking a property crime report and the complete lack of follow up, just pick a place and you can look at non-violent crime clearance rate. They really don't care.
  - rydifyrhffh 4y ago
    As it happens I experienced exactly this scenario when a homeless person broke into my house while I was asleep, stole a bunch of stuff, and then made off with my car. The cop certainly didn't solve all my problems but they were clear about what they needed to know and what I'd need to do if I wanted to hear back from the city when the person was found. If the police in your area don't care it seems far more likely that they either don't feel allowed to police effectively or they feel their efforts will be wasted.
  - brian_cunnie 4y ago
    > They [the police] really don't care I don't think it's something you can lay at the feet of the SF Police Department. I asked Pete McLaughlin, SFPD (retired), why the police don't go after bike thieves more aggressively. "Our hands are tied," he said. "They [the thieves] know the most we can do is give them a citation, and they'll be out that afternoon." California has a history of being lenient with non-violent crime, which is appropriate in some cases, but maybe not in others. Maybe leniency is the wrong approach for some of these bike thieves. But it's complicated. I heard Jerry Brown (former California Governor) talk about how ~10% of the state budget goes to prisons, and he's not comfortable with such a large amount, and I agree--throwing people in jail is expensive!
    - mrguyorama 4y ago
      Asking a cop about why they didn't do their job is like asking a dev how their bug ended up in prod. You'll get an answer, but it will neither sate your desire for improvement, or actually shed light on any systemic issues.
- dymk 4y ago
  If the DA doesn’t care, the cop doesn’t care.
  - astrange 4y ago
    The trick is that the cops can stop caring and everyone will blame the DA; it's similar to how voters always think "crime" is increasing recently no matter the actual statistics or how safe the area they live in is. American police are similar to a permanent paramilitary class like Janissaries or samurai. The local governments don't actually control them and as a civilian encountering them means they may kill you for honor violations.
    - jprd 4y ago
      All day this. Go ahead and try to find the guidelines, charter, mission, etc. for any municipality policing force. If there is one. Now try and define the actual jurisdiction they have, and the _requirements_ for fulfilling their charge. How many US citizens younger than 70, without FU $$, do not immediately act like they need to be on their "best behavior" when a Uniformed Officer drives (or less likely, walks/bikes) through? Now add any attribute that makes you stick out from the rest of the community. Does it still feel like they are there to protect you? Skin color? Religious attire that isn't a suit w/tie or a dress? Hair color? Music? Having way too much fun in a public place while being younger than 30? Here's a good place to start: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/545/748/#tab-opinion-1961907 https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/545/748/#tab-opi...
- Test0129 4y ago
  Where I live they don't even send police for non-injury accidents anymore. Even if there's a hit and run no police get sent. Property crimes don't matter anymore. When my friends got their catalytic converters stolen the police never even bothered to show up. Taking statements may not get their cats back, but it goes towards building up a large enough case to justify a unit to handle it. You are correct though. Our DA is a "soft on crime" type. As a result, all forms of criminal behavior have increased dramatically in the last several years.
  - astrange 4y ago
    SF recalled their supposedly "not hard on crime" DA, mostly because he offended the local Asian voters, but the new supposedly "hard on crime" DA in practice doesn't seem to be having much effect. Similarly Chesa didn't oversee Oakland or any other nearby areas but I've still seen people who live there blame things on him. People generally have no idea how much crime there is. If you asked most people which of NYC and Oklahoma is safer they'd get it wrong whether or not they lived there.
    - olliej 4y ago
      No they recalled him because he was refusing to prosecute anyone for anything because he was mad that his terrorist parents were in jail for being terrorists. There is a wide gap between liberal “people shouldn’t go to jail because they were on drugs while poor” and “no one should be prosecuted for anything”
      - astrange 4y ago
        He charged people more often than the previous DA. Like I said, nobody actually looks at any of the numbers here. https://missionlocal.org/2022/04/chesa-boudin-files-more-charges/ https://missionlocal.org/2022/04/chesa-boudin-files-more-cha... But he was insensitive in public when there was a wave of anti-Asian crimes, and turnout was low in his initial election. Not sure about the recall.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- olliej 4y ago
  State your sources if you’re taking the position that police solve crime. If you’re referring to that SF DA that was refusing to prosecute people that was a case where their public platform was to stop over criminalizing but it turned out that their parents were terrorists and they just wanted them out of jail.
- alar44 4y ago
  Real life isn't a detective show. Cops don't task resources with hunting down your stolen TV. At best, you may get it back when someone tries to sell it to a pawn shop.
  - dsfyu404ed 4y ago
    More like you get it back when the drug dealer who's thieving client trades it to him in lieu of cash gets busted and the cops comb his apartment looking for anything else they can charge him with and check the serial vs their list.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      There’s really only three reasons (or four) to report theft: 1. It’s serialized and you want it on the recovery lists 2. You need the report for an insurance claim 3. You want to be counted in statistics used to determine policing levels 4. The item could be used in a crime and you want to be cleared (think stolen car, stolen gun)
midoridensha 4y ago
It's still like that here in Japan: bikes are all registered with the police and have stickers with their registration numbers. When they're stolen (which is usually done by drunk people wanting a quick ride home, or teenagers using them for joyrides) and recovered, the police will bring the bike back to the registered owner. Usually, the best way to avoid theft is to simply lock your bike's rear wheel so it can't be ridden away easily.
adrr 4y ago
Why was property crime much higher back then? We’re at historic lows. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
- User23 4y ago
  When the cops don’t show up to take a report it doesn’t show up in crime report statistics.
  - adrr 4y ago
    Do you have data backing that up? The data is all FOIA-able like calls to the police department and dispatch data. There's also insurance claim data which requires a police report.
    - Rebelgecko 4y ago
      Does FOIA data include how many calls the police don't pick up? I've literally never gotten an answer when calling my local PD's non-emergency number
      - adrr 4y ago
        Assume you could get the raw phone log including non answers. I thought they had voice mailboxes?
        Rebelgecko 4y ago
        LAPD doesn't. Although I've since learned that supposedly the trick is to call their Spanish non-emergency number since all the operators are bilingual anyways and there's lower call volume.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - Gareth321 4y ago

kazinator 4y ago

It's literally "going out of style". Gotta get all the cat converters you can before all the cars are electric!

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
TheLoafOfBread 4y ago
Batteries will get stolen for same reason.
- gpm 4y ago
  I doubt it. Catalytic converters are stolen because they're valuable and easy to make off with. Car batteries are frickin giant, and if you try and take only a piece you get a giant fire instead of a valuable source of rare metals. They don't seem like a great thing to steal.
  - dimitrios1 4y ago
    You are really discounting the ingenuity of criminals. If they can steal 4 tires with wheel locks off your car, they can steal your undercarriage battery.
    - MBCook 4y ago
      It’s THOUSANDS of pounds. It’s not a trivial operation. It may happen, but it will never be anywhere near as common as cat theft. One is safe, trivial, fast, and pays a lot. The other is extremely difficult, possibly lethal, and can’t easily be melted down for profit like a cat.
      - dylan604 4y ago
        As connected as modern EV cars are, stealing one would seem like a dumb decision since they'll know exactly where the car is. I know chop shops are quick, but I still wouldn't want to knowingly bring something with tracking devices into my criminal lair.

humanistbot 4y ago

> They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts. Making it extremely difficult to fence these things will be practical and useful because they aren't sold and reused as is California just passed a law to this end, which is pretty straightforward and effectively turns the grey market into a black market. A black market will still exist, but it will be a lot harder for legitimate junkyards, auto repair shops, and recycling facilities to look the other way. It basically mandates KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for companies that buy or sell catalytic converters, and it makes buying or selling a catalytic converter without documentation that it was obtained legally a crime. It won't completely eliminate the problem, and it'll be harder unless Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico also take similar steps. But it should also enable more targeting and auditing. One part of this case was filed in California, so I bet they had some kind of sting operation that was made a lot easier when they can lean on a low-level junkyard dealer to testify against the people higher up in the black market. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-25/newsom-signs-catalytic-converter-bills https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-25/newsom-s...

catiopatio 4y ago
> It basically mandates KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for companies that buy or sell catalytic converters, and it makes buying or selling a catalytic converter without documentation that it was obtained legally a crime. This is worse than the original problem. When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? Effective, privacy-preserving law enforcement is difficult. That doesn’t mean we should cut corners through ever-increasing state oversight targeted at the latest symptoms of criminality. The choice isn’t between laws like this and having your catalytic converter stolen. The choice is between law enforcement actually doing their job, or invasive and ineffectual laws like this. The justice department, in the very article we’re discussing, investigated and took down this ring without California’s new “KYC” regulations.
- hack_edu 4y ago
  > When did we become so comfortable with the government mandating presentation of papers and tracking of private transactions? After Timothy McVeigh blew up a building with a truck full of agricultural supplies.

giantg2 4y ago

They already have a lot of scrutiny on used catalytic converters. It sounds like this ring might have been smelting the precious scrap.

SoftTalker 4y ago
Yeah it happened to my car like 6 or 8 years ago. I called around to salvage yards to try to buy a used exhaust. I needed basically everything from the manifold back due to where the thief made his cuts. Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. I had to buy a new aftermarket exhaust or a new one from the dealer.
- Melting_Harps 4y ago
  > Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. This is uniquely a CA issue, some after-market vendors wont even sip to CA/NY; however, most states will allow you to retrieve them from junked cars and will personally do that for you if you are willing to pay for their time--most have pick a part solutions as it's cheaper on labour to do it that way since dismantling/sorting/testing is very labour/time intensive. I bought a few ex manifolds and cats for several cars from other states and shipped into CA when I worked in the auto industry, it just wasn't cheap. Because good luck getting a decent ex manifold for a 1968 BMW 2002 or 1991 850i from Bavaria and you will soon be so sticker shocked you will pay whatever it takes to get it state-side, especially since one of those cars is smog-exempt and the dealer is charging you every hour your car is taking up a rack waiting for the RO to be completed.
- dsfyu404ed 4y ago
  >Every yard told me that they aren't allowed to deal in used exhaust systems. This is a long standing emissions law thing that predates theft issues. They want people to drop big coin on something (be that an exhaust system or a vehicle financed at a borderline usury rate from the local BHPH lot) that will be in compliance for awhile rather than slap a used cat on that will barely pass the test and go out of compliance shortly thereafter.

bcrosby95 4y ago

My mother-in-law's neighborhood has had 5 stolen in the past couple of months. And it isn't that big of a neighborhood. Maybe 50 houses in total?

gmiller123456 4y ago

They should also consider targeting and auditing shops that buy used car parts In this case they took out the palladium and sold it to a refinery. Also, VINed parts, like airbags, have been found being shipped to countries that don't care about or can't enforce the sale of them. So, it'd eat into some of the criminal's profits, but probably not enough to significantly reduce theft. So efforts are likely better spent elsewhere.

cdr 4y ago
The kingpin at the top of the food chain sold the metals to a refinery. There were many levels below him of catalytic converters being bought and sold before they got to the kingpin.

grogenaut 4y ago

install a cat shield aka a plate that covers your cat. Mine got stolen, a shield was $350, they totaled the car for over $3500 by taking the cat if I would have fixed it due to fucking up the exhaust pipes and o2 sensor.

reducesuffering 4y ago
Shield is only a possible time-lengthening deterrent. I installed one and my cat was still stolen. I can't say how many attempts it deterred in the mean time, if at all.
- grogenaut 4y ago
  interesting that's a determined thief. the one who got my cat just used a sawzall.

seanmcdirmid 4y ago

I heard that stolen cats are sent by the rings to China for recycling/extraction. So just looking at domestic resellers isn’t going to help much, and you need to start peeking into shipping containers that head back to China usually very empty.

Haga 4y ago