Catalytic converter thefts spike in Bakersfield

Chances are you or someone you know may have been a victim of catalytic converter theft.

It's been a common problem this year and the crime continues to grow.

VICTIM OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERTHEFT, IT'S BEEN ACOMMON PROBLEM THIS YEAR AND THECRIME CONTINUESTO GROW.23ABC'S BAYAN WANG SPOKE TOPOLICE ABOUT THOSE THEFTS.WE'LL HAVE THAT UPDATE IN A JUSTA MOMENT-- BUT FIRST WE WANTTO EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLYCATALYTIC CONVERTERSARE-- AND WHY PEOPLE ARESTEALING THEM.CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE PART OFA CAR'S EXHAUST SYSTEM.THEY WORK BY CONVERTINGCHEMICALS FROM THE EXHAUSTINTO LESS HARMFUL ONES.THE PARTS ARE ATTACHED TO THEBOTTOM OF CARS WHICH MAKESTHEM EASY TO STEAL.MOST TIMES-- THIEVES CAN REMOVEONE WITH A WRENCHAND A POWER SAW IN ABOUT AMINUTEAND THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE FORMANY PEOPLE IN BAKERSFIELD ...B-P-D HAS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANTRISE IN CATALYTICCONVERTER THEFTS SO FAR THISYEAR23 ABC'S BAYAN WANG JOINS USLIVE FROM BOB'S MUFFLER SHOP INEAST BAKERSFIELD WITH HOW MUCHOF A INCEASEWE'VE SEEN SO FAR THIS YEAR ANDTHE REASONINGBEHIND IT.BAYAN..ALEX -- IT'S DEFINTELY BEEN AVERY FRUSTRATINGTIME FOR HUNDREDS OF BAKERSFIELDRESIDENTS..REPAIRING A CATAYLTIC CONVERTERHAS BEEN VERYEXPENSIVE..

AND MORE RECENTLY..A VERY LENGHTY PROCESS... ANDGET THIS..

THERE HAS ALREADYBEEN THREE TIMES MOREREPORTED CATALYTIC CONVERTERTHEFTS THISYEAR..

THAN ALL OF 2020.CAR STARTING, MAKING RUMBLINGSOUNDIT'S AN UNPLEASANT ROAR THAT'SALL TOO FAMILIARACROSS BAKERSFIELD"I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SOUND ITMADE, SO I TEXT MY DAD, I'MLIKE'UHH, SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT ANDHE TOLD ME 'YUP THAT'S YOURCATALYTIC CONVERTER' SO I JUSTFIGURED... THEY GOT ME."LYNSIE MCROBERTS HAD HERCATALYTIC CONVERTERSSTOLEN A FEW WEEKS AGO OFF HERTOYOTA SUV, AND ACCORDINGTO BAKERSFIELD POLICE DETECTIVEJESSICA AMOS, SHE'S JUST ONEOF MAN" WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN THEMBEING STOLEN RIGHT NOWTHROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE ARELOOKING AT ABOUT 450 RIGHTNOW FOR THE YEAR."THE INCREASE COMES AS THE PRICEOF PLATINUM,RHODIUM, AND PALLADIUM METALSUSED TO MAKE CATALYTICCONVERTERS CONTINUES TO RISE.

ASOTHER COUNTRIES LIKECHINA AND EUROPE CRACKDOWN ONCAR EMISSION"THEY'RE SELLING THEM TO EITHERRECYCLING PLACES, THERE ISDIFFERENT AUTO BODY SHOPS THATWE HAVE INFORMATION ONTHEM PURCHASING THESE."AUTO REPAIR BUSINESSES -- LIKEBOB'S MUFFLER SHOP(DO YOU HAVE NATS OF THE PHONERINGING TO PUT HERE?)HAVE BEEN SLAMMED WITH REPAIRREQUESTS"WE USUALLY GET LIKE 20 TO 30 ADAY, THE PHONE IS RINGING TILLWE OPEN IN THE MORNING TILL WECLOSE AT NIGHT.

WE GOT A CALLWAITING, AND IT DOESN'T STOP ALLDAY LONGREPLACING OR FIXING THOSECONVERTERS IS NOT A QUICKPROCESS, SOME OF THOSEREQUESTS... LIKE FOR MCROBERTSCAN TAKE WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS TOCOMPLETE..."IT'S HAPPENING SO QUICK,THEY'VE FALLEN BEHIND ON THEIRMANUFACTURING, SOME OF THEDEALER 'CATS' ARE SIX TO EIGMONTHS OUT, THEY DON'T HAVEANYTHING."THE PRICE TAG CAN RANGE IN THETHOUSANDS WITHOUT INSURANCE..

ANINCONVENIENCE BPD SAYS PEOPLEMAY BE ABLE TOAVOID BY GFX-- PARKING INWELL-LIT AREAS OR GARAGESTHOSE TIPS ARE EXTRA IMPORTANTAS IT'S MUCH EASIER TO GETUNDERNEATH THE CAR... SAVING THETHIEF TIME FROM HAVING TO JACKITUP.

ALEX...ALEX; AND BAYAN WHAT IS THEPOLICE DEPARTMENTDOING TO HELP WITH THIS ISSUWELL WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TELLME TODAY IS THAT THEY HAVERECEIVED INFORMATION OF A FEWAUTO SHOPS IN TOWN THAT AREPURCHASING THESE PARTS EITHER TOREFURBISH OR TOREUSE... THEY DIDN'T GO QUITEINTO DETAIL ON HOW THEY AREGOING TO ENFORCE THE ISSUE..

BUTTHEY HAVE DEFINITELYBEEN INVESTIGATING IT.YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHATMAKES CATALYTIC CONVERTERS SVALUABLE.WELL-- IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITHWHAT THEY'RE MADE OF.

TONIGHT--WE'RE TAKING AN IN- DEPTH LOOKAT THE MAKE UP OFCATALYTIC CONVERTERS.CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE MADE OFA COMBINATION OFPLATINUM, PALLADIUM, ANDRHODIUM.ALL OF THOSE METALS CAN BEEXPENSIVE-- MAKING THEMIDEAL TO SELL FOR SOME QUICKCASHTODAY-- PALLADIUM IS WORTHNEARLY THREE THOUSANDDOLLARS AN OUNCEPLATINUM IS ROUGHLY 12 HUNDREDDOLLARS PEROUNCE.AND RHODIUM WAS SELLING FOR29,500 PER OUNCE.KEEP IN MIND-- CATALYTICCONVERTERS AREN'T MADEENTIRELY OF THESE METALSEACH PART CONTAINS A THIN LAYEROF THE MATERIALS-- ANDTHEY COULD BE RESOLD FOR ABOUT500 DOLLARS GIVENTHE CURRENT PRICES.THE SEARCH IS ON TONIGHT FOR