Under broad daylight, it took less than 60 seconds to go. Yikes.
Theft of catalytic converters has become a serious problem not just in the US, but all over the world. It is easy to steal a car’s catalytic converter.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Twitter account, CCTV footage of Washington shows exactly that. The embedded tweet below shows two men jumping underneath a Ford F-250 in order to remove the precious catalytic convert.
The entire process, which included getting back to the getaway car and speeding off, took less than one minute. All this was done in broad daylight. The whole process was quick and painless. Police said the thieves used battery-operated saws for the removal of the catalytic converter from the truck.
The sheriff’s department is still working to find the thieves and offers cash rewards for anyone who provides information.
Uninitiated may not know that catalytic converters are expensive and require a high level of skill. As criminals have seen the potential for these expensive parts, this has resulted in an increase in theft.
As previously reported, catalytic converter theft is a major problem in Washington. California has the same issue. The theft rate in LA County increased by 400% between 2019 and 2020. A recent bust occurred last March when catalytic converters were recovered. It was estimated that the total value of the stolen catalytic convertors was approximately $750,000.
Car brands are now offering ways to combat catalytic converter thefts. Toyota is one example. Toyota and Lexus are more likely to be the victims of catalytic converter thefts than older vehicles. However, the automaker offers a tracking system for older models in order to address the issue in the UK. Toyota also works with local authorities in order to track down these thieves.