Catalytic Converters Being Stolen From Hondas In Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Imagine Roxann Cartwright's surprise when she hopped into her car last week and it suddenly began making a loud racket. The Park View resident knew she needed work done on her brakes but was caught off guard by her exhaust system needing repairs, too.

After she dropped her vehicle off at the mechanic, she received an alarming call 20 minutes later.

"My catalytic converter had been cut off my car," Cartwright told Patch.

When Cartwright notified the manager of her complex, she was informed that another resident also had his catalytic converter stolen from his vehicle.

"We both have a Honda Element," Cartwright said. "The insurance company advised me that it happens a lot."

Capt. Craig A. Mitchell with the Baltimore County Police Department, Woodlawn Precinct, told Patch that catalytic converter thefts are a nationwide problem.

"The metal used in the converters is highly profitable when taken to scrappers," he said.

Catonsville did recently experience a trend involving catalytic converters being taken from Toyota Priuses, Mitchell said. The police department has worked with other agencies to identify suspects in many of the cases, the captain noted.

"Vehicle owners should park under better lighting if possible, garage their cars, utilize residential cameras and look out for each other in the neighborhoods. It takes seconds for these thieves to cut the converters out," Mitchell said.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has been tracking this national surge in catalytic converter thefts and reports a 10-fold increase in thefts since 2018. More than 14,000 such thefts were reported in 2020, according to the NPR.

One of the metals found inside a catalytic convert, rhodium, can bring $28,000 an ounce. Some websites reveal that recyclers will pay $50 to $200 to legally obtain a faulty converter or one from a junked vehicle. One that works would bring much more, NPR noted.