Ever since prices for precious metals soared during the commodities boom early this century, brazen thefts of catalytic converters have risen steadily nationwide.
On March 12, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office announced that it detected an unusually high number of catalytic converter rip-offs across this county over the past few weeks. Sheriff’s deputies along with local law enforcement agencies have noticed that most of the crimes have been committed during evening hours.
Catalytic converter thieves generally go after high-profile rides such as trucks or sport utility vehicles because the higher ground clearance allows for easier access beneath the vehicle. But although their clearance is far lower, sports cars and sedans are not immune to converter theft.
Platinum, titanium
A device designed to control a vehicle’s exhaust emissions, a catalytic converter contains several types of recyclable materials that can be easily scrapped for a quick profit. Metals found in the converters include, platinum, palladium, rhodium and titanium, as well as copper.
Cars such as the Toyota Prius and the Mercedes Sprinter are being targeted, and it can take less than a few minutes for a determined crook to remove the converter with a pipe cutter.
Preventive measures
The Sheriff’s Office suggests a few preventative measures. For instance, if your catalytic converter is a “bolt on” model, you can have the bolts welded shut and have extra metal welded to the exhaust system. Other motorists may want to install a protection device that will clamp around the converter. They may also engrave their vehicle identification number (VIN) on the catalytic converter to help alert a scrap dealer that it was stolen. If your converter is stolen, file a police report immediately after the theft is discovered.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Tip Line at 315-435-3051 or by sending a tip utilizing TIP411.
Why not test two lanes?
Dave Iannuzzi, who lives in Liverpool, is amazed that the state Department of Transportation officials who plan to reduce the number of lanes on parts of Onondaga Lake Parkway haven’t bothered to test out their scenario.
All they’d have to do is place a few traffic cones to close down one lane each way, Dave said, and they’d see how traffic gets backed up.
“I went to more than one of those meetings they had at the library, and mentioned my idea,” Dave said, “but the DOT person I spoke with said they hadn’t tried that.”
Meanwhile, residents upset with the DOT proposal to reduce the number of lanes of traffic on the parkway have started a petition opposing the proposal, and last week more than 2,550 people had signed it.
