WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Catalytic-converter thieves still at it

| Crime | West Seattle news

Just keeping you updated on where catalytic-converter thieves are hitting – here’s the most-recent reader report we’ve received. From Kevin:

I live in a home around 60th and Admiral, Alki neighborhood. My Lexus SUV catalytic converter was stolen between 11:30 am and 5:30 pm (broad daylight) on Friday 9/4/21. It has been reported to police and insurance. Writing this so others keep a vigilant eye out for your neighbors or think about securing your catalytic converter.

Case # 2021-915725.
Photo of damage attached:

JayKay September 4, 2021 (7:55 pm)

This is two blocks from our house. The crime is worse than ever. Every time I look on West Seattle blog guarantee I will see more of the same.

Audifans September 4, 2021 (8:46 pm)

Car owners are simply going to have to protect their vehicle…These creeps are going full time.

David von Wolffersdorff September 6, 2021 (7:56 am)

Where did you buy you Cat Defender? Price?

Mj September 4, 2021 (10:34 pm)

Audifans – I wish these perps were doing time behind bars instead going full time stealing catalytic converters!

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy September 4, 2021 (11:43 pm)

Shame we can’t have a tracker. Location and count over time.

Eldorado September 5, 2021 (7:53 am)

You’re hired.

Scubafrog September 5, 2021 (6:32 am)

It would be nice if the exploding dye used in bank robberies could be applied to catalytic converters. Likely Impossible at the heat cats produce. These thieves should be coated in permanent dye, and incarcerated!

Jason C. September 5, 2021 (7:30 am)

Got an internal combustion engine? Your cat will likely get stolen. Eventually. This problem will never go away. The rhodium inside of the catalytic converter is worth 10x more than platinum and there are no rhodium mines discovered. Highly sought after for jewelry. Considered the most expensive & rare metal in the world. Though the plates and cat covers will slow down thieves, it wont stop all of em from trying and damaging your car in the process. Make homelessness illegal. Give 100% housing to those without homes. Those who refuse and want to live outside may need to be institutionalized in some form. Give adequate funding to public education and make 4 years of college free. Expand medicare to age 0 & abolish the private health insurance industry. (If both exist at the same time, private health insurance will boot all sick & diseased onto Medicare financially sinking Medicare & turning around and telling the public “It can’t work.” Though the rest of the world has some form of functioning publicly funded health care that functions better than what we got) We need social security for all. We already have an economy that functions solely on social programs and the economy couldn’t survive without it. Haven’t even mentioned the environment which is about to get real ugly, we need to run a nation wide home insulation & heating/cooling replacement program. We need a full on replacement of fossil fuels. More green energy, more nuclear energy, NO coal.Who wants to work during a mass extinction event anyways?You can’t lock your underlying issues away in prison.Quit voting republican & corporate democrats if you want a livable planet for humans. (They tend to work together. Corporate dems would rather loose to republicans than let progressives and socialists win, look at what is happening in Buffalo New York in their Mayoral contest, India Walton won the primary. That incumbent corporate dem Byron Brown is doing a write in campaign for the general along with working on dumping the position of Mayor altogether.) We have Judicial capture, regulatory capture, & media capture. Don’t sleep on the media.

Jimmy$ September 5, 2021 (1:58 pm)

What can you do if you stumble upon someone leaving your residence with your cat converter? Call the police? Run them down with a bat? Gun?I once talked to an officer who told me you have the right to protect your property. Not sure to what extent.

Tony Roma September 5, 2021 (3:57 pm)

Engrave your VIN on your CAT. Report the theft. The dealer will have to report or be in possession of identifiable stolen goods

Mj September 5, 2021 (6:14 pm)

Tony Roma – I would go with the cat guard to prevent the would be thieves, this and hope for some stiffer law enforcement and prosecution.

Peter September 5, 2021 (8:51 pm)

I just bought a Cat Shield for our Prius that we are getting installed in a few days. This crime is out of control all over the area and there seems to be no relief in sight.

WSB September 5, 2021 (10:34 pm)

Not just our area, the entire country. I put the term “catalytic converter” into Google News every few days and that brings up stories from coast to coast – right now, for example, Michigan, Nevada, California, New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, Pennylvania, Ohio, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Missouri are the first page of results…

Georgina September 6, 2021 (12:58 am)

Sadly, it is not only happening in the U.S.A. https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/catalytic-converter-theft-drivers-warned-to-protect-their-cars-as-value-of-precious-metal-rhodium-soars-12287717

Chad E Cox September 6, 2021 (7:04 pm)

I have been going on Craigslist for around 6 months now and flagging any posting that resembles: “Top cash for catalytic converters.” There are usually around 15-20 listings. What more can the average person do? The police aren’t doing jack squat.