GreenTree Senior Living in Columbus didn’t think much about parking its senior citizen bus in the parking lot behind its building on the west side of Columbus — until an employee started the engine last week.
On March 10, staff were getting ready to take the facility’s final six residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines. But when a maintenance worker went to start the bus, it let out a booming roar.
The culprit: Somebody had sawed off and stolen the bus’ catalytic converter, an emissions-control device coated with precious metals worth more than gold. A saw-type device was found on the pavement near the bus.
The theft forced staff to “cram” the residents — some with walkers and scooters — into a van with no lift and make multiple trips to get them all vaccinated, said Vicky Colson, the facility’s executive director.
And it cost $1,500 to replace the stolen part.
“It was very disappointing for our staff and for the residents that someone would do that here at a senior community,” Colson said. “…A senior community, really? For anybody, it’s an expense. But why would you do that to a senior community?”
GreenTree is among a growing number of victims of catalytic converter theft, which police across the country, including in Columbus, say is on the rise as emissions restrictions around the world are pushing the price of the metals contained in the devices to all-time highs.
Thieves can make hundreds of dollars selling the stolen parts to scrapyards or others, who then either resell the devices, which do not have serial numbers, or extract the precious metals.
In Columbus, a total of 177 catalytic converter thefts were reported to police last year, up from 45 thefts in 2019, according to the Columbus Police Department.
Catalytic converter thefts have further accelerated in Columbus so far this year, with 71 thefts reported during the first 73 days of the year.
Locally, many of the people believed to be involved in catalytic converter theft have drug problems and found swiping the devices to be a quick way to fund their drug habit, with some thieves able to make off with the parts in as little as 45 seconds, said Sgt. Kyle Young of the Columbus Police Department.
Columbus police have seen a lot of Ford and Chevrolet trucks being targeted, as well as Ford and Chevrolet vans, Honda CRVs, Honda Elements and Toyota Tundra pickup trucks, Young said.
“The price of those precious metals inside of the catalytic converters are high right now,” Young told The Republic. “Individuals are basically stealing these items and then turning them in and then they receive funds or money for those converters because of the precious metals inside.”
Catalytic converts are coated with varying amounts of rhodium, palladium and platinum — all of which have seen spikes in prices over the past year.
As of Wednesday morning, the average price of an ounce of rhodium so far this month was $23,564 — roughly the price of a new Honda Accord and over 13 times more expensive than an ounce of gold — according to Kitco, an online retailer of precious metals that tracks and publishes commodities prices.
By comparison, an ounce of rhodium was worth, on average, $4,611 nearly a year ago.
Though not as drastic, palladium cost $2,390 per ounce on Wednesday, up from $1,557 a year ago, and platinum was valued at $1,213 per ounce on Wednesday, more than double the selling price this time last year.
The amount of these precious metals in catalytic converters varies by vehicle model and manufacturer, but is generally around 3 to 7 grams, according to Specialty Metals, a Connecticut-based that recycles precious metal scrap.
There are about 28.3 grams in an ounce.
Columbus police have been talking with local scrap yards about the increase in theft and are in the process of scheduling a meeting with them to take some measures aimed at addressing and preventing the crime, Young said.
However, local scrap yards say they are doing what they can to avoid purchasing stolen parts.
Brian Ballard, vice president of the Kroot Corp., which operates a scrapyard in Columbus, said the company does not purchase very many catalytic converters, but they record all transactions on video, capture the license plate number of the seller’s vehicle and scan their state-issued photo ID.
“We don’t buy many converters,” Ballard said. “Edinburgh buys about 99% of the converters because they’ve got the market on them and we’re more industrial stuff.”
G-Unit Core Inc., a company at 1015 S. Walnut S. in Edinburgh that describes itself on its website as “a leader in grading, buying and selling catalytic converters” has seen an increase in law enforcement stopping by his business as of recently, said owner Bob Hess.
“I know (theft) is a big problem,” Hess said. “We do our best to stop them as much as possible.”
Currently, a catalytic converter can fetch upwards of $250 at a scrapyard in the Columbus area, depending on the model and size of the device, up from about $70 a year and a half ago, Hess said. Converters on some quarter-ton trucks are worth upwards of $1,000.
“A guy can go out there with a Sawzall, cut three cars and have $1,000, $1,500,” Hess said. “This is what the problem is. It is too much money.”
Hess said anyone who sells a catalytic converter is required to provide a valid photo ID and a copy of their vehicle registration, and all transactions at G-Unit Core are captured on video surveillance.
However, Hess said it is difficult for him to know if the parts people bring in are stolen. The parts themselves do not include an identification number that can be tracked.
“If you put yourself in my place for just a second, I can’t call (customers) thieves,” Hess said. “Do I have a certain suspicion? Well, you know, I’ve seen them cut it off their own cars. This is what I told law enforcement. You know, always I’ve got to do what the law requires me, and if law enforcement comes here, our books are 100% open. If they’ve got a name, we’ll track it down.”
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Some measures the Columbus Police Department says local residents can take to help reduce the chances of being victim of catalytic convert theft include:
- Be observant and aware of your surroundings.
- Park in a secure garage or well-lit area.
- Etch your license plate number into the catalytic converter.
- Purchase catalytic converter locks or other security devices that make it more difficult to remove the part.
- Have the catalytic converter welded to the vehicle.
- Park in an area that is under video surveillance.
- Calibrate car security system so that a minimal vibration that will set off the car alarm.
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