Crockett Police Ask for Your Help in Catching Thieves of Car Parts

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – The Crockett Police Department (CPD) has put out a call seeking information of a number of thefts recently. Over the past several weeks, the CPD has responded to five different reported thefts of catalytic converters around Crockett.

The CPD reports several of these have been stolen from Toyota pickups. Catalytic converter theft is on the rise. Catalytic converters often don’t get replaced just because they overheat or get clogged – they’re often stolen, especially on older versions of popular models such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry – according to carfax.com.

Car thieves realize there is strong demand from repair shops and individuals looking to save money on replacement parts, especially on older vehicles. Those who own older vehicles are reluctant to spend big money on a car with a low resale value. The same is true for body parts for popular models from several years back. Shady repair shops might also buy stolen parts but bill their customers for a new one at a much higher price. The repair shops count on the vehicle owner never knowing the difference.

The converters are also stolen for another reason – the precious metals inside. Palladium, rhodium, and platinum are the catalysts.

Rhodium – which many may have never heard of – can trade for nearly $10,000 per ounce.

These metals are so expensive because there is high demand and limited supply globally, which is why gold is being explored as an alternative for the future.