Brookline Police Warn Drivers Catalytic Converter Thefts On The Rise

BROOKLINE (CBS) – It didn't take one Brighton woman long to figure out something was wrong with her Toyota Prius. "It was last June. I went to turn on my car and it was a very loud rumbling sound," Alexandra Patch told WBZ-TV.

Her mechanic looked under the car and sent her photos of the catalytic converter gone – seemingly sawed off.

Brookline Police are warning drivers that catalytic converter theft is on the rise in Massachusetts and nationwide.

"These thieves are stealing these parts, not to put on another car, but to sell to scrap shops for the value of the metals themselves," said Brookline Police Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Paster.

While Patch will likely never know who stripped her red Prius, Brookline Police were able to help arrest three suspects last week in Brighton with power tools targeting the same model car.

Rodney Dukes of Toyota of Watertown told WBZ-TV that hybrid cars like Priuses have bigger catalytic converters containing more precious metals worth hundreds on the black market.

"We've done probably 80-100 converters in the last eight months," said Dukes. "It takes a skilled person to get under here and chop it off... If you take it out and take it to a scrapyard, it's $800."

All while victims foot the bill for a replacement part that could cost upwards of $3,000.

"It was pretty frustrating," Patch explained. "I'm really lucky that my insurance did cover it, but I had a $500 deductible, and I did nothing wrong!"

There are ways drivers can safeguard their vehicles. Dukes recommends a $90 shock sensor that could trigger an alarm if a car is lifted off the ground.

"Ask the dealer if they're willing to etch the VIN number from your car onto the catalytic converter because they aren't marked," Deputy Superintendent Paster said. "That way, if we do recover – we're able to trace it back to your crime."

In 2020 and 2021, there were five catalytic converter thefts reported to Brookline Police each year. In 2022, there have already been two reported thefts.