District Attorney Announces Effort to Curb Catalytic Converter Thefts

Police in South Pasadena recovered several allegedly stolen catalytic converters, as well as a stolen van, and arrested three suspects on April 11, 2021. (Credit: South Pasadena Police Department)

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday that he is reaching out to automakers to find solutions to help address the growing issue of the widespread theft of catalytic converters from parked vehicles.

Gascón is hoping to team with car manufacturers to “explore creative solutions to address the rise in catalytic converter thefts across Los Angeles County and the nation,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a written statement.

“Catalytic converters are quick and easy to steal, and thieves can quickly turn them into cash,” according to Gascón. “In addition, the lack of unique identifiers makes it virtually impossible to prove in court that a particular catalytic converter was stolen.”

The Pasadena Police Department reported earlier this year that thefts of catalytic converters had doubled in the city.

The trend has been observed nationwide since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau lists California among the top five states affected by the crime, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“These thefts are costly to vehicle owners and result in higher insurance claims for us all,” Gascón said.

To date, only Torrance-based Honda Motor Co., Ltd., has expressed interest in exploring possible solutions to reduce these thefts that target all vehicle owners, the statement added.

Local law enforcement agencies have taken to hosting etching events in which they volunteer to engrave car owners’ driver’s license numbers into their catalytic converters to make them easier to identify if stolen.

Catalytic converters help regulate vehicle emissions. They contain small amounts of precious metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium that attract opportunistic thieves who chop them from vehicles and sell them to recyclers for scrap metal.

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