Car's converter latest target for Toronto thieves
Last Updated: Friday, October 19, 2007 | 11:07 AM ET
CBC News
In the past they've stolen the heads of statues, copper wire, even church bells. Now thieves in Toronto are targeting parked cars — not the whole car — just the catalytic converter.
Mechanic Scott Anderson says he has seen three cars in a week with their catalytic converters missing.
(CBC)
At garages all over the city people are having their cars repaired after being victimized by the fast-as-lightning thieves.
Mechanic Scott Anderson has seen "about three [cars] in the last week" with their catalytic converters missing.
It doesn't take long to get the converters out of a car, he says, and the part is worth anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand, because catalytic converters contain precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium.
"I couldn't believe it," said Anderson. "They just parked their cars at the TTC lot. When they come back [to] start their car it's like blahhhhhhhh," he said, mimicking the sound of the car engine without the converter.
A catalytic converter such as this can go for anywhere from a couple of hundreds dollars to a couple of thousand. The part is a hot commodity among car thieves.
(CBC)
The TTC lot at the Kipling subway station has been targeted on several occasions.
Mike Butler, TTC's security superintendent, says they're keeping an eye on the 1,400 spaces.
"The patrols are increasing. We're in the middle of a surveillance detail, as we speak, with Toronto police."
But it's not just the TTC lots that are being hit. Car dealerships are also at risk.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says one Toronto dealer had 50 catalytic converters stolen in one night alone.
