Catalytic Converter Thefts Skyrocket Across the UK

The increased value of the metals contained within catalytic converters has been cited as one of the primary reason thefts are escalating across the country. Read our latest post to learn more. Catalytic converters have been a standard fitting on most cars in the UK for many years. Petrol cars have had them since 1992 and diesel cars since 2001. Hybrid cars are most at risk as the metals used in their cat converters are more valuable. These precious metals include rhodium, platinum and palladium, making these devices very valuable on the black market. The increase in value of these metals is the reason why, in the 12 months from December 2021 until January 2023, thieves are reported to have stolen 28,000 catalytic converters in the UK - and thefts are continuing to escalate. What is a Catalytic Converter? Catalytic converters are exhaust emission control devices that reduce the emission of harmful substances in a vehicle’s exhaust gases, such as carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons. These noxious pollutants are converted into less harmful substances like carbon dioxide and water vapour using chemical reactions within the cat converter. The interior of a cat converter contains a ceramic honeycomb structure coated with a catalyst which creates the chemical reaction with the exhaust gases. The catalysts used are the precious metals noted, such as palladium, rhodium and platinum. Although they were previously fitted close to a vehicle’s engine, due to their high operating temperatures, in today’s vehicles they are located underneath, close to the exhaust outlet, making them conveniently accessible to criminals. Hybrid vehicles are the most commonly targeted by thieves as their cat converters are used less frequently, due to the two power sources. This means the precious metals are less likely to have corroded and the converters are in better condition, making them more valuable on the black market. Why Criminals Are Stealing Catalytic Converters? One of the primary reasons criminals are stealing catalytic converters is that it`s relatively simple to carry out. The fact that cat converters are easy to access and very valuable makes them appealing to criminals. Hybrid cars, vans and Sports Utility vehicles (‘SUV’s’) are at greatest risk. Accessing the underside of these vehicles is far easier, due to their increased ground clearance, but criminals also commonly use trolley jacks to reach the underside of standard vehicles, enabling them to reach their catalytic converters. Armed with a jack and an angle grinder, thieves can steal a cat converter in under a minute from most vehicles. Alongside both the ease of access and fuel efficiency factors, thieves tend to target vehicles they are familiar with. Once they know what they need to do to access and detach a cat converter from a specific vehicle model they are better able to do it again, quickly and undetected. Another key reason for the massive escalation in cat converter thefts is the value of the precious metals they contain. These have grown significantly, making catalytic converters a potentially valuable target for unscrupulous criminals. Scrapyard regulation is ineffective and many stolen items are reportedly being shipped abroad making it very difficult to trace the perpetrators. Massive Increase in Cat Converter Theft Figures from around the UK reflect a massive recent increase in catalytic converter theft. In Kent an increase of 25% has been recorded between 2020 to 2021 when 329 cases were reported. And in Surrey it`s reported that cat converter theft has escalated from 11 cases in 2019 to 218 in 2021. Data obtained by Sky News indicates almost 100,000 thefts of catalytic converters have been recorded in 3 years in the UK. Criminals are reported to have been stealing around 75 per day throughout 2022. Somerset, Bath, Bristol and South Gloucestershire are all areas in which cat converter theft has increased by over 450%. But London has suffered the highest number of cat converter thefts with over 30,000 devices stolen between 2020 and 2022. Sadly, very few catalytic converter thefts are being solved. In London only 544 cat converter theft cases were solved out of 36,658. The low likelihood of being caught combined with the high value of these devices and how easy they are to steal is fuelling the growing catalytic converter crime wave. Cost of Catalytic Converter Theft The cost to victims of catalytic converter theft can be extremely high. The high cost of replacement along with vehicle repairs will typically be in the region of £1500 and for many this can mean writing off their valued cars. In one example case, a driver of a 14 year of BMW 1 series car, worth around £1200, was targeted by catalytic converter thieves. The cost of replacement along with the likelihood of a higher insurance premium and the risk of the same crime happening again meant the driver resorted to scrapping the car. She was then forced to take a significant loan to replace it. As well as the high cost of catalytic converter replacement there’s the additional challenge of finding a dealership that’s able to supply them. Supply chain issues and the rising prices of raw materials can mean victims of catalytic converter theft have to wait a long time to have their car’s repaired. Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention With cat converter thefts rapidly escalating drivers and fleet managers need to know how to protect their vehicles. It`s worth keeping in mind that one of the key reasons they are being stolen is that it`s relatively easy. So a primary recommendation from police forces and insurers is to make it more difficult for criminals to get what they want. Here’s a round up of the best advice currently available. Consider Where You Park A high proportion of catalytic converter thefts take place in car parks. When parking away from home it`s advisable to use only Park Mark approved car parks. The Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme is part of the Police Crime Prevention Initiative portfolio aimed at reducing crime in parking facilities. When parking at home always lock vehicles in garages if they are available. If you don’t have a garage consider parking so that it`s difficult for criminals to get underneath the car. Parking close to walls and fences can help, but pedestrian access must always be considered. Another important consideration is lighting. Criminals like to do what they do unseen so parking in well lit areas is always advisable. And if you are parking on your driveway or forecourt consider installing motion sensitive security lighting. If you are parking a fleet of vehicles it`s advisable to park vehicles with low ground clearance right next to those with high ground clearance to obstruct access. Install CCTV CCTV security systems are now very affordable and easy to install. CCTV cameras monitoring the locations in which vehicles are parked is a very effective anti theft deterrent. Security Mark Catalytic Converters Catalytic converters don’t have any distinguishing marks or numbers making it impossible for police to match stolen items with the vehicles they came from. Police forces have recovered thousands of cat converters throughout the UK and security marking would have helped. Security marking catalytic converters with unique codes can be achieved using an appropriate, heat resistant, approved marking system. This is generally best applied by a garage when a vehicle is serviced. Another option offered by some garages is to etch a unique serial number into the converter. They will also provide a sticker to display in the vehicle window, telling would be cat converter thieves that the converter is marked, which acts as a powerful deterrent. Make it Difficult to Remove Various techniques and devices are being used to make it difficult for thieves to detach catalytic converters. Asking a garage to weld the bolts holding a cat converter in place is one option. Another is to use a catalytic converter protection device, such as a CatClamp or Catloc (which is specifically for Toyota vehicles), to make it difficult for thieves to cut the converter free. Catalytic converter shields like these don’t provide 100% protection from criminals, but they do make it far more difficult and time consuming to detach the protected converters. Install an Alarm Police forces recommend the use of vehicle alarms. While most modern vehicles fitted with catalytic converters have factory fitted alarm systems commercial vans may not have them as standard, so it`s a good idea to get one installed. These alarm systems should be activated when a vehicle is lifted or tilted with a trolley jack. Report All Catalytic Converter Crime Although crime figures for catalytic converter thefts are high they don’t represent the full picture. Many thefts are simply not reported to the police, partly due people’s lack of confidence in law enforcement, reflected in their poor rate of success in solving crimes. But it`s vitally important that all victims of catalytic converter crime report them to the police. It`s also important for those in the scrap metal trade to report all offers of scrapped catalytic converters from people who can’t provide details of where the devices came from. If you have any questions about home or business security, or if you have any special requirements, remember that we are here to help. Give us a call on 01273 475500 and we’ll provide you with free, expert advice.

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