Stolen catalyst? Join the growing club

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Mark Hixon started his Prius in Ala Wai Boat Harbor late last month and was instantly surprised by what sounded like a racing car next to him cranking its engine.

Next came the smell of unfiltered exhaust gas.

Hixon, professor of marine biology and head of the zoology graduate program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, had parked around 8:30 a.m. that morning and returned that afternoon to find that his catalytic converter had been stolen right under his car – in broad daylight near a busy intersection.

“There’s no muffler, so the engine noise comes straight out of the engine with all the pollution, smoke and everything else,” said Hixon. “At first I just thought that someone next to me started a hot rod. Then I realized that it was my car. “

Hixon then checked the underside of his Prius and noticed that the spring bolts holding the converter in place were strewn across the floor.

“There was no note,” said Hixon. “There was no indication that anyone had seen anything or tried to tell me about it.”

Hixon had just become the youngest victim of a crime that engulfed both the state and the nation.

Honolulu Police received more than 1,800 reports of stolen catalytic converters this year. There have also been hundreds of attempted thefts, said Michelle Yu, a department spokeswoman.

Catalytic converter theft has increased over the past three years, according to local auto dealers, lawmakers and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

“The tow truck driver told me he made it through 17 on that day alone,” Hixon said. “He said some days are a lot worse than others.”

The Kaimuki auto repair shop receives at least one or two requests every week to buy a new catalytic converter. Jacob Geanous

Catalytic converter theft has increased across the country over the past three years, according to the NICB. In 2018, 282 catalyst thefts were reported monthly in the US, according to the NICB. That number rose to 1,203 per month in 2019 and 2,347 per month in 2020.

“Vehicle thefts, carjackings and break-ins are all crimes we have been watching for several months, and now catalytic converter thefts are on the rise,” NICB President David Glawe wrote in a press release earlier this year.

“We saw a significant increase during the pandemic. It’s an opportunistic crime. As the value of the precious metals contained in the catalytic converters continues to rise, the number of thefts of these devices also increases. There is a clear correlation between times of crisis, limited resources and interruptions in the supply chain that drives investors to these precious metals. “

Catalysts are devices that convert pollutants from vehicle exhaust gases, such as carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxide, into water vapor and carbon dioxide. Thieves often target catalytic converters that contain platinum, rhodium, and palladium and sell them for between $ 200 and $ 1,000, depending on the car.

Hybrid cars like Hixon’s Prius are often worth more to thieves because they contain higher amounts of precious metal.

The rise in thefts has led to catch-up orders for catalytic converters across the country.

“Often times they are reordered from the factory, which means they actually have to be made from scratch before shipping,” said Laurie Marcuiller, manager at Kaimuki Auto Repair.

“Usually for parts … we can order from the mainland and they have it available there.” But she added that because catalytic converter theft “is so widespread everywhere it is nowhere to be found, you have to get it from the manufacturers from scratch make a new one before you can send it to us ”.

Hixon, still waiting for his new catalyst, paid $ 300 for the new part after his insurance took over the portion. However, without insurance, the devices can cost anywhere from $ 3,000 to $ 4,000, according to Marcuiller, who said a dealer told her it would take two months to get a new catalyst.

Legislators are considering remedial action

In Hawaii, lawmakers have tried to reduce the number of catalytic converter thefts. A bill was drafted earlier this year to address the problem by forcing those who sell catalytic converters to prove they own the vehicle the device came from. The bill also required buyers to take photos of the records provided by sellers and required the theft of catalytic converters to become a Class C crime.

The statement, HB446, and his fellow Senate SB55 Also included a provision to increase the fine for recyclers found guilty of stealing stolen property from $ 25 to $ 500 to $ 100 to $ 2,000. This would be enforced during routine police checks.

The bill got through the Hawaii House and was amended in several places before reaching the Senate, where it stalled on the Justice Committee in late March.

“It’s pretty frustrating because this was an obvious problem that affected a lot of voters in Oahu as well as neighboring islands, something that really affects every household,” said Jackson Sayama MP, co-author of the bill. “Not everyone has to distribute several thousand to replace a converter. Even putting a sign on it costs several hundred dollars. “

Catalyst shields that are placed over the converter to prevent theft can cost between $ 300 and $ 600 with installation.

Sayama, who represents District 20 including St. Louis Heights, Palolo, Maunalani Heights, Wilhelmina Rise and Kaimuki, said he plans to reintroduce the law in the next term and work with HPD to reduce catalyst thefts.

“I have no intention of stopping this initiative by passing laws,” said Sayama. “I plan to work with HPD officials in my district and the Oahu area to ensure that inspections take place and that this law, when it comes into effect, is enforced.”

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