Thefts of catalytic converters spike in Milwaukee and other Wisconsin cities. What you can do to deter thieves.
James E. Causey
Verna Taylor always took good care of her 2004 Toyota Sequoia, so when she cranked up her truck one morning to run errands, she knew the loud sound she heard wasn’t normal and drove straight to a nearby muffler shop.
“My truck sounded like a loud tractor or something,” Taylor said.
When the muffler shop hoisted the Sequoia on the lift, the mechanic quickly spotted the problem.
“Someone cut my catalytic converter," Taylor said. "I didn’t even know what a catalytic converter was before this.”
The bigger surprise: a $1,500 price tag to fix it.
While Milwaukee police don’t break out stolen catalytic converters by category, they say stolen car parts — of which catalytic converters are the main target — are up significantly this year. As of April 11, there have been 497 “stolen car parts” reported, up 19% from the same time last year.
“For someone to just violate you like this makes you want to move from the area. I’m sick and tired of it,” Taylor said.
Here's what to know, and how to protect yourself.
Tips to protect your catalytic converter
- Park your vehicle in a garage with the door shut and locked.
- Install motion sensor lighting around your property and park in well-lit areas.
- Get your catalytic converter spray painted in a bright neon color to make it less desirable on the resale market.
- Install video surveillance where you park.
- Install a security system on your car that is sensitive to vibrations, such as those produced by a jack or a saw.
- If you become a victim, report the incident to police so they can spot trends.
- Engrave your car’s VIN into its catalytic converter.
- Park your car close to building entrances on the nearest road in public parking lots so people can see it.
Thieves are after the precious metals inside
Catalytic converters are located behind the front axle housing next to the oil pan and transmission. The device helps reduce the toxicity of fumes emerging from your vehicle's engine.
Thieves have been targeting catalytic converters for two reasons: Inside each “cat” are precious metals such as palladium, rhodium and platinum. The metals are in high demand and limited in supply globally.
There is also strong demand from repair shops and people looking to save money on replacement parts, said Milwaukee Police Sgt. Efrain Cornejo.
A skilled thief can slide under a vehicle with an electrical saw and cut the catalytic converter off in five minutes, Cornejo said.
Thieves removed Taylor's catalytic converter in the middle of the night while she was asleep.
She had parked her truck in the back of her house for years because it was too big for the garage.
"I never thought anyone would mess with it,” she said.
Taylor, 61, reported the incident to her insurance company, which covered everything aside from the $500 deductible. She got the repairs done the same day but worried that the thieves would come back.
Taylor posted the unfortunate incident to her Facebook page, and she said others soon responded, saying their converters were cut off their cars in similar fashion days apart.
Taylor did not report the incident to police because the thieves didn't leave any physical evidence behind.
But reporting such incidents can help because it allows police to spot trends and possibly send additional squads to areas that may be hot spots.
Taylor, who has lived in the area of North 27th Street since 1969, said despite what people say about her north side neighborhood, she had never been the victim of crime until her catalytic converter was stolen.
She has made one change: She sold her Sequoia and bought a smaller truck that fits in her garage.
“They are stealing cars and car parts, so I just have better peace of mind knowing that my truck is in the garage," she said. "But I’m going to get security cameras, too.”
'Cats' from foreign-made cars in higher demand
Depending on the vehicle, a stolen catalytic converter can fetch up to $600 on the underground market, said Leroy Washington, of Wright Car Connection, 2481 N. Teutonia Avenue.
Catalytic converters from foreign cars, such as Toyotas — especially the Prius — are in higher demand because the hybrid’s converter typically stays in better condition longer; newer model SUVs; trucks; and vans, bring the most dollars.
“If your cat is cut off, you'll know right away because your car will be so loud you can hear it coming from a block away,” Washington said.
Washington said a year ago, his business was installing about one converter a month; now he’s doing several a week.
Washington said thieves often target people who can least afford to have their cars repaired.
“It’s just thievery. People are not doing this because of the pandemic, people are doing this because they just don’t want to work for a living," he said. "They would much rather steal from someone because to them it’s just easier to do that.”
Police also warned about people receiving fliers indicating “We Buy Catalytic Converters — Top Dollar Paid.”
“It’s probably not a good thing to do business with people like that,” Cornejo said.
When my wife went to the Pick ‘N Save at Midtown last week, she found a flier on her SUV indicating the author would buy cars with no title, along with catalytic converters.
When I called the number listed on the flier and asked them how much they pay for catalytic converters, I was told it depends on what kind of car it came from.
I made up a story: I told the man I had a catalytic converter from a Dodge and needed $300 for it.
He told me that $300 probably wouldn’t happen.
“Just text me a picture of it showing the inside,” the person said before hanging up.
There have been cases where people have had their catalytic converters stolen from their cars, and the thieves have tried to sell their own converters back to them, Cornejo said.
Wisconsin law requires scrap dealers to document who they purchase items from so police believe a lot of the converters stolen here end up in neighboring states.
“They don’t have the same regulations we have here, and they pay better in Illinois and Minnesota,” Cornejo said.
One answer: installing metal rods around the part
While stolen catalytic converters has been a pain for Milwaukee car owners, repairing the damage the thieves cause has been a gold mine for mechanics.
Elijah Corona, owner of The Family Mechanic, an auto repair shop at 1122 E. Holt Ave., in Bay View, said his business has never been better.
Corona has an option to install rebar rods over the devices to make it harder for thieves to cut through them.
Prior to the pandemic, Corona was installing one catalytic converter a month. Now, he’s doing two dozen a month, and more people are electing to pay the $75 for the added protection of rebar.
Cutting through the rebar to get to a converter would ruin an electrical saw blade, which can cost up to $15. Most criminals would see the thick metal rods and move on.
The theft of catalytic converters is a problem in other cities as well. Police in Stevens Point, Madison, and Wausau have reported upticks.
Two weeks ago, St. Paul, Minn., police held a drive-through clinic to spray paint the outside of drivers’ catalytic converters to deter would-be thieves. Scrap yards won’t purchase marked catalytic converters, police said.
Milwaukee police need to offer a similar solution. It would be a low-cost way build trust in the community — and deter thieves.