Nine thefts involving catalytic converters were reported to the MU Police Department between Sept. 5 and 12.
Eight of those thefts reportedly took place at University Lot CG-1, which is located at the northwest corner of Stadium Boulevard and College Avenue.
The Columbia Police Department took 14 reports involving similar thefts in different locations in the city of Columbia since the beginning of the summer.
Catalytic converters are devices that convert the toxic substances produced by cars into non-toxic substances to be released in the air.
They have been stolen primarily from Chevy Cavaliers, Oldsmobile Aleros, Pontiac Sunfires and Pontiac Trans Ams, all of which are out-of-production cars made by General Motors, according to a CPD news release.
Auto-Tech of Columbia owner Gail Lenger said he believes the probable reason for the theft is that GM converters are worth a lot of money.
“Catalytic converters have precious metals inside and they can be sold at scrap yards for around $100.00 to $150.00 depending on the demand,” CPD spokeswoman Latisha Stroer said in an email.
GM converters contain gold and platinum.
All the converters stolen have been parked for long periods of time, according to the news release.
“All the research I have been reading shows that thefts look for vehicles higher off the ground so they don’t have to jack them up, but they look for vehicles in large parking lots such as shopping centers so no one really pays much attention,” Stroer said.
Lenger said cordless saw or roller chain cutter were probably used in the thefts to allow for speed and stealth.
“When in the parking lot, if you see someone acting suspicious, give us a call,” MUPD Capt. Scott Richardson said. “Often times they use cordless saws to take off catalytic converters, so if you hear an unusual saw grinding noise give us a call.”
Stroer recommends that to avoid thefts, people should park in well-lit areas close to building entrances or fenced-in areas, engrave license plate numbers on converters, purchase a vehicle security system or visit a local muffler shop and have the converter secured to the frame with hardened steel.
So far, neither MUPD nor CPD has identified any suspects.
Anyone with any information is requested to call Detective Sam Easley at 573-884-3721 or Crime Stoppers at 573-875-8477. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,500 if the information leads to an arrest.
