After a few years in which catalytic-converter theft was seldom heard of, we see Mto have had at least a mini-resurgence lately. Kate emailed today to report:
Reading about the recent catalytic converter reports – wanted to let you know that my 2000 Toyota 4Runner was hit in the Gatewood neighborhood- near 37th and Holden. It was stolen on Sunday, 1/19. But just verified via mechanic last week. From shops I have been talking to – sounds like there may be a recent uptick in West Seattle.
Well, damn. I hope SPD can quickly figure out who they’re selling to. The 2022 (?) bust of a big resale ring really improved things for a while.In the meantime: folks with older model cars, especially those with ground clearance, go get a “cat shield” put on at a muffler shop. A couple hundred bucks will save you some serious cash and headache later on.
Didn’t the DOJ successfully break up the catalytic converter theft rings three years ago? Seems to have worked (up to now)? Time to do it again? Think it’s possible?
US DOJ under Pam Bondi is too busy persecuting Trump’s enemies to investigate real crime, sorry!
That was when we had a real government and not a tin foil hat dictator wannabe as “president”. It’s everybody for themselves anymore.
I was already pretty disillusioned by our current “future”. I really didn’t need this to make a comeback. I already lost one Olympia friend who refused to visit me because of Seattle crime. I wish I was making that up. Her fears were exaggerated but given what actually sometimes happens it’s still something I’d worry about if she ever got the courage to visit
Would it help to tell your Olympia friend that catalytic converter theft is a national problem? Not limited to Seattle? Read this excellent reporting of the nationwide regional catalytic converter theft rings (over half a billion dollars!) three years ago. Reads like an action thriller novel, complete with improbably-named protagonists (Kansas Core, Theodore Roosevelt Owens, among others), organized crime, reaching to Japan, $500,000 in desk drawers, shootouts with local police, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932022_catalytic_converter_theft_ring
Are these theft rings starting up again? Is the federal government in shape to effectively prosecute these crimes again?
I had my one drinking night a month last night and was a little woes me when I commented that. But yeah she did unfortunately say she was too afraid of having her car vandalized to visit. At the time I found it to be very ridiculous and it sorta made me grumble-y. Then I realized I was going to be so paranoid about what might happen to her car if she did visit, I just didn’t want the worry. So local uptick in common car crime is not something I’m happy to hear. Also – she lives in the sticks outside Olympia. Pretty much zero chance someone is driving down a gravel road to get her converter there. But you made a point I made in my head. They obviously have to drive into town for groceries. Are they scared then?
What federal government? It’s been abolished in favor of anarchistic fools, thugs, criminals and the new gestapo’s orange (not brown) shirt brigades like ICE- only interested in stealing money on a national scale from SSA/Medicaid/ Medicare and putting certain segments of our diverse society in concentration camps.
Well, the government has some accomplices because the entire Medicaid and Medicare system is riddled with fraud on a staggering scale. I’ve been following pandemic fraud as a sideline interest and my latest find is the rampant hospice fraud in Los Angeles with fabricated companies and ghost patients. I wonder what percentage of every dollar in circulation, or one our person, is derived from some type of fraud. This is a society in utter chaos where anything goes.
Olympia has a higher crime rate than Seattle. Your friend would be safer visiting you.
It’s not my imagination when I thought I was hearing more loud, mufflerless cars recently. A Cat Converter Shield was one of the first & few options I added to my new car purchase a few years back. Somebody’s buying this stuff. Cut “them” off.
Hi, typically anything with high clearance (trucks, SUVs), and hybrids. Toyota Prius is a very common target. Carfax has a report from 2024 that lays out most common targets per region.
In the time when it was rampant a few years ago, Honda Elements were a popular target – thieves hit our ancient Element and a neighbor’s on the same night.
Palladium has doubled in price over the past year, which is probably why the Priuses were the first ones hit. Look at the past crime ring bust. It peaked at the same time as palladium prices.
Do 2019 4Runners have the same amount of attraction for CAT thieves?
Why hasn’t the legislature made it illegal to sell catalytic converters to metal recycles? Problem solved.
Which legislature?
Read the reporting; the stolen converters were/are aggregated, shipped, and sold to large regional criminal enterprise (organized crime) “metal recyclers” unconcerned with abiding by any laws. Problem not so easily solved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932022_catalytic_converter_theft_ring
Because you can just crack out the metals and melt them down to blocks. That’s impossible to track at that point.
Our 2001 Toyota SUV was struck again, a week or so ago. We don’t drive it as often and don’t know when it happened. The last converter theft, about 4 years ago, we were told they could not put a shield on the model and age vehicle. We did put one on our Prius. I guess we can try a muffler shop. There is definitely an uptick in catalytic converter thefts. It appears Toyota is the targeted brand. Sure would be nice to see this type theft, end.
Gas theft seems to have come roaring back as well. I know of at least three gas thefts in the Highland Park/White Center areas over the last few weeks, in addition to the ones already being covered by the blog.
It sounds like earlier model 4Runners are harder to protect- because the cat is more exposed- and harder to put an effective cage on than newer models. I had inquired a few years ago about the 2000 4Runner that was reported above- but was told that there were not covers available. Have been told that for newer models- more readily available and more effective to protect- because they tend to be less exposed and accessed than earlier models
Sorry, comment time is over.
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