Catalytic converters, a vehicle part that has been targeted by thieves nationwide, were stolen from three SUVs owned by Quinnipiac students.
Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes sent an email to the community on Oct. 8 about the thefts and offered advice for avoiding thefts in the future.
“To reduce your risk of becoming a victim, have a repair shop etch a unique serial number onto your catalytic converter so it can be easily identified if it is stolen,” Reyes said in the email. “You can also ask the shop to weld the bolts shut, which makes it difficult for the converter to be removed.”
Reyes also advised students to use a car alarm and park in well-lit places as a preventative measure.
All three catalytic converters were stolen from Honda CR-Vs. Reyes said that one theft took place in the North Haven campus parking garage on Oct. 5 and two thefts took place in North Lot on the Mount Carmel campus on Oct. 6.
The theft of catalytic converters is not a problem unique to Quinnipiac University.
“We do know that there were some [thefts of catalytic converters] in New Haven that occurred and we are waiting on information about an arrest that was made in New Haven,” Reyes said.
Reyes said he is waiting to see if there is a connection between the arrest and the thefts of catalytic converters.
“The fact that [the thefts are] happening in a concentrated area and within a close timeframe to each other, suggests that there could be some connection to each other,” Reyes said.
Stolen catalytic converters are a common issue, with a rise in reported thefts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the national monthly average of reported stolen catalytic converters in 2020 increased to 1,203, from an average of 282 per month in 2019.
Catalytic converters are stolen from cars because of the valuable materials inside them, said Scott Peters, a customer service adviser at the Hamden Pep Boys at 2301 Dixwell Ave.
“People steal catalytic converters because they are expensive,” Peters said. “If you were to put a [new] catalytic converter [in your vehicle], you would be spending anywhere between 800 to 1,500 dollars because it’s an emissions part. Meaning that you’ve got expensive materials inside: nickel, platinum, ceramic. Lots of expensive material. So if you cut them out of the car, then you can sell them.”
Catalytic converters can be stolen in minutes, and can be sold from $20 to $200, according to Edmunds.
In an automotive vehicle, catalytic converters reduce emissions out of the tailpipe.
“The engine produces a couple different things,” Peters said. “Hydrocarbon, which is unburned fuel, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.”
The catalytic converter in a vehicle converts those gases to “water vapor or carbon dioxide, which is a lot less harmful to the environment,” Peters said.
It is easy to tell if a car’s catalytic converter is missing, according to Allstate. Upon starting a vehicle with a missing catalytic converter, the engine will make a loud roaring sound, which will get louder as a driver pushes on the gas pedal.
