Police throughout the Central Okanagan are seeking the public’s help to stem the tide of stolen catalytic converters.
On Thursday, Kelowna RCMP said since Jan. 1, there have been 78 reported catalytic converter thefts from Lake Country to Peachland.
Police say if you have any recorded video surveillance of a possible or confirmed catalytic converter theft to contact them immediately.
“As is often the case, our biggest investigational asset are vigilant community members,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera. “Surveillance footage is an immensely helpful resource that we lean on for identifying suspects and their patterns that can lead to an arrest.
“If a thief knows they’re being recorded and the whole neighbourhood is on the lookout, they’ll be more likely to change their plans.”
Below are some police tips on how to protect your vehicle from catalytic converter theft:
- Park in your home garage, if possible,
- Use motion sensing exterior house lights if you park in your driveway,
- Park in a well-lit area,
- Keep a watchful eye in your neighbourhood and report anything that seems suspicious
Located on a vehicle’s underside, catalytic converters are part of the exhaust system and reduce exhaust pollutants. Inside the converter are trace amounts (grams) of expensive rare metals: Platinum ($900 an ounce), palladium ($1,400 an ounce) and rhodium ($8,700 an ounce).
“The appeal of stealing one is less about resale value and more likely committed with the intention of selling it to a recycling facility for the small amount of valuable metal it contains,” said police.
RCMP noted that removing a catalytic converter is a noisy process.
“If you find yourself waking up to the sound of power tools in the early hours of the morning and spot a suspicious person underneath a car, please don’t hesitate to call the police,” said the RCMP.
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