Pollution control devices contain valuable metals, are expensive to replace
Kevin Coyle, owner-operator of Nine Lives Custom Refinishing, has a habit of parking his cube truck in front of his business on Highway 20, in Fonthill. It’s in a high-visibility area, next door to the Legion and a gas station, and across the street from the Food Basics shopping plaza. Safe enough, right?
But in the wee hours of Saturday, July 24, his vehicle lost a precious part: a catalytic converter, part of his truck’s exhaust system that reduces the emission pollutants. He shared the story with the Voice to help create awareness of a problem that is pervasive in Niagara.
“I talked to my mechanic. It'll probably cost me six hundred bucks to replace,” said Coyle.
And in a sense, he got off lucky. Some vehicles have multiple catalytic converters, based on their exhaust configuration, and replacement can run upwards of several thousand dollars.
A catalytic converter contains several precious metals: platinum, palladium, and rhodium. On a per-ounce basis, they rival the price of gold on the open market. Palladium is currently selling for over $2600 an ounce, with rhodium about $2100, and platinum $1000.
Ken Shorthouse, who owns Elevate Automotive, in Fenwick, used to manage an automotive parts recycling shop, and has been in the industry since 2006.
“It happens all over,” said Shorthouse. “Guys will cruise down a street, jack up a car in seconds, and use a battery-powered grinder to remove its ‘cat,’ all in under a few minutes.”
He said that a lot of the thieves are not local, and fence the stolen converters at unscrupulous metal recycling and auto wrecking yards outside the region. They can get anywhere from $50 to a few hundred for the stolen parts, said Shorthouse.
Constable Phil Gavin, a media relations officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service, told the Voice that a large number of such incidents have been occurring in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and Welland.
“We have had investigative units conduct projects in relation to catalytic converters that have led to arrests and recovery of stolen property,” he said. “We have seen commercial lots and repair shops targeted. Suspects get inside a fenced area, and move from automobile to automobile.”
Thieves often go after vehicles with higher suspension systems, like vans and pick-up trucks, with the added ground clearance allowing the thief easier access to the converter.
A CBC News report in March identified at least 30 automobile owners in Niagara who had recently fallen victim to catalytic converter thieves, but the problem exists right across the country.
Gavin said that the good news is that metal recyclers are working with the police to report suspicious persons, and maintain ethical and required business practices, insisting on proper documentation. He added that some fleet owners have been engraving personalized lettering or numbering on the catalytic converters for identification, making them harder to exchange for cash. Others have welded metal screens over the converters to make them more difficult and time-consuming to remove.
There are a number of ways members of the public and business owners can deter potential part thieves, said Gavin. Motion-activated lighting systems, surveillance cameras, alarms and sirens, fences, and simply garaging your vehicle all help. Businesses that maintain a fleet of vehicles could consider security personnel and guard dogs, and regular patrols of the property. Neighbourhood Watch groups on Facebook also can be valuable, keeping community members in touch about crime in the area, and heightening the sense of vigilance.
