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Catalytic converters such as the pair attached to the exhaust pipe form the engine, center left and right, are shown underneath a Dodge Charger automobile being serviced at Roanoke County’s Fleet Services. The converters are the target for a rising numbers of thieves, a national trend playing out locally.

It’s fast, it’s costly — and it’s on the rise.

Law enforcement is seeing a boom in the theft of —not cars, but car parts — specifically catalytic converters made with valuable precious metals.

The converters, which filter pollutants from car exhaust, are disappearing at a growing rate in communities everywhere.

“It’s definitely a huge problem,” said Police Officer Greg Benton, a crime prevention coordinator with Roanoke County.

“I don’t think it’s ever been this prolific,” he said. “It’s a nationwide crime trend right now.”

In July, one insurance provider alone, State Farm, said it had seen a three-fold jump in the number of catalytic converter claims filed over the past year.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that average monthly thefts in the country soared to 1,203 in 2020 compared to 282 in 2019.

Local police data also bear out that pattern. In Roanoke City, 182 converters were reported stolen by the end of October compared to about 16 during all of 2020.

Franklin County has fielded 27 theft cases so far this year, some with multiple converters stolen, up from two last year and none the year before.

In Roanoke County, 47 cases had been recorded, after about five last year, with several cases involving multiple converters stolen in one swoop.

In one instance, Benton said, thieves made off with about 30 converters at once.

Catalytic converters, which sit on the underside of a car, can be cut out in a matter of minutes with a machine-powered saw. That means fast-working bandits can do considerable damage in short order.

“They’ll target parking lots, car lots, neighborhoods, you name it,” Benton said.

There are precautions that car owners can take including parking in well-lit, visible areas. Slicing off a catalytic converter can be done quickly but not quietly as the sawing tends to make a racket.

In Franklin County, Investigator Steve McFarling said the cases the sheriff’s office is working often happened in the dead of night as thieves want to avoid drawing eyes to themselves.

The escalating theft reports come at a time when the price of rare metals like rhodium and palladium — found in trace amounts in catalytic converters — hit record highs over the past year. The metals are now worth more, per ounce, than gold.

A single catalytic converter can fetch between $50 and $250 as scrap metal, said a March advisory issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

A missing catalytic converter won’t disable a car but will be immediately noticeable. The absence causes a vehicle to rumble and roar as a working converter helps suppress the sound of the exhaust system.

“When you start your vehicle, you’re going to immediately know there’s something wrong,” McFarling said. “It’s going to be a very loud noise.”

There also might be a distinct smell of fumes as the converter is no longer breaking down harmful gases in the car exhaust.

The cost of a new catalytic converter can be pricey for those whose insurance plan doesn’t cover auto parts theft. Replacing a converter can run from $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the system, according to a November report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which said the problem has grown so pronounced in some places that 11 states passed new laws this year aimed at curbing the thefts.

In Virginia, those caught and charged with swiping catalytic converters could face jail time, depending on the extent of the property damage done.

Local agencies have been working to raise awareness of the phenomenon and share safety tips.

Law enforcement suggests keeping cars parked close to your home, building entrances or near a road if in a parking lot to boost visibility. Park in a secure area if possible. If you have a garage at home, use it and keep its door closed.

Home security cameras that capture your parking spot can be useful — as can adjusting car security systems, if already in use — to respond to vibrations like those created by a saw.

In some communities, car owners are taking steps to mark their converters, as ownership otherwise is virtually impossible to prove. Spray paint, VIN number etchings or other unique tags can help identify a part.

There also is an industry springing up around countermeasures that can be installed on cars to make converters harder to access and remove. Shields, cages and steel cables are among the anti-theft devices circulating.

The trend of targeting catalytic converters might persist for some time. Mining industry experts told The Washington Post that high prices for rhodium are forecast to continue until at least 2025.

“As long as the prices are going up, there will continue to be an increase in this type of crime,” McFarling said.

That is why public education about the problem is crucial, officials said. Communities should be aware of what to look out for, and are encouraged to report suspicious activity noticed.

Note: Some agencies reported data by the number of catalytic converters stolen and some by the number of incidents. One incident might include multiple converter thefts.

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Alicia Petska covers business and writes the Business Intel column. She can be reached at (540) 981-3319 or alicia.petska@roanoke.com.

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Catalytic converters such as the pair attached to the exhaust pipe form the engine, center left and right, are shown underneath a Dodge Charger automobile being serviced at Roanoke County’s Fleet Services. The converters are the target for a rising numbers of thieves, a national trend playing out locally.

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