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Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:29 am
by sharon kinsella
There were a bunch of catalytic converters stolen from cars at the Westerly last week.

Of course I only found out about it after they stole mine and a friend put it up on a lift. Apparently this is the latest scheme for getting copper.

I just gave my car to my friend, the heck with it.

Dirty b......ds stealing from old people, nice.

Re: Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:39 pm
by Jerry Ritcey
Yikes. Definitely do not want to park outside my garage anymore.

FYi they are not looking for copper: "Precious metals such as platinum, palladium, rhodium or gold are used as the catalyst. Depending on which metal was used, thieves can sell the converters to metal recyclers for $20-$200. The recyclers then extract the metal and resell it for as much as $6,000 an ounce, as in the case of rhodium."
source: http://www.edmunds.com/auto-insurance/i ... theft.html

Re: Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:39 pm
by steve fecser
sharon kinsella wrote:There were a bunch of catalytic converters stolen from cars at the Westerly last week.

Of course I only found out about it after they stole mine and a friend put it up on a lift. Apparently this is the latest scheme for getting copper.

I just gave my car to my friend, the heck with it.

Dirty b......ds stealing from old people, nice.


It's not for the copper, cuz there is none. Auto catalytic converters contain within the substrate, trace amounts of platinum/pallidium/rhodium.

Re: Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:51 pm
by Brian Pedaci
This has been going on all over town recently. There was an article on Patch about a week and a half ago about the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts in the northeast part of town (the article is oddly missing from the site now, but here is the Google cached version).

Sorry that happened to you, Sharon. Keep your eyes out,everyone. Especially those who park on the street or in a lot.

Re: Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:22 pm
by sharon kinsella
I don't even know what those other metals are but I believe you all, just don't shout at me in read for pete's sake.

Re: Thefts at the Westerly - Catalytic Converters

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:19 pm
by Heather Ramsey
I'd heard about it last week, too, but there's not really anything I can do to prevent it if they're coming to my part of town. I *think* my alarm would go off, but I don't know for sure.