Rash of catalytic converter thefts reported across state
Vehicles from DATTCO and Transportation Authority of Greenwich targeted for precious metals
MIDDLETOWN — DATTCO bus company officials have put up a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a rash of catalytic converter thefts from their sites, as well as from other fleet operator locations across the state, including in Greenwich.
DATTCO has experienced thefts at several of its locations in Connecticut, company President Don DeVivo said, including in Cheshire and the body shop on Tuttle Road in Middletown, which was hit multiple times between midnight and 3 a.m. by vandals using an electric saw.
“They just cut them off the vehicles. We’ve had upwards of 20 in one night,” said Frank Baio, DATTCO’s assistant vice president of safety and risk management. “It’s not just ours — it affects the entire community.”
In total, the company has lost about $70,000 to vandals, he said.
In Greenwich, the thieves targeted the Transportation Association of Greenwich, which uses its small buses to take seniors to appointments and to deliver food to residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thieves stripped eight of TAG’s buses of their catalytic converters last month, disabling them.
Debra Vetromile, executive director of the nonprofit, said TAG received assistance from police and from the Boys & Girls Club with distributing the needed food.
TAG works with Neighbor to Neighbor to supply food to about 500 families in Greenwich, and some 2,000 individuals.
Eight buses were damaged, including one that is handicap accessible, were sent to the shop for repairs. During that time, TAG cobbled together various remedies to help seniors get to their doctor’s appointments.
Greenwich police and technicians improved security at TAG’s garage in Riverside in an effort to prevent a repeat occurrence by thieves.
Targetting buses, vans
Since the start of the year, the transportation company has been hit by thieves stealing catalytic converters from school buses and vans seven times, DeVivo said.
“I think it’s a ring of thieves doing this. It hurts everyone,” DeVivo said.
Cheshire and Durham experienced 10 thefts in one night, during which vandals were able to breach the gate, DeVivo said. “They take between eight and 10 every time they come in.”
Locations being targeted include Middletown, Durham, Cheshire, Windsor and Manchester, according to Paul Mayer, vice president of marketing and communications.
The parts have no serial numbers, DeVivo said, making the stolen property nearly impossible to track.
“It’s a widespread problem,” he said. “These thieves are very quick. They get the catalytic converter out of the vehicle, and they’re gone.”
The thieves are after the precious metals contained within the parts: Two of the three rare earth metals (rhodium and palladium) are worth more per ounce than gold, according to caranddriver.com. They are also after platinum, which is of lesser value, but still expensive, the Car and Driver website says.
Costly repairs
Each incident can cost the company more than $2,300 just for parts replacement, Baio said. Factoring in the time it takes for mechanics to fix the problem, reinstall the converters, and complete a safety check, it could take up to two weeks to get the motor buses back in rotation, he said.
The thefts have been reported at apartment complexes, commuter lots, car dealerships, Connecticut Transit site and other places. “It’s pervasive throughout the state,” Baio said. One Dattco location was hit twice by thieves, prompting it to institute additional security measures, Baio said. In response, the company installed more cameras, fencing, motion sensitive lights.
With so far 55 vehicles being scavenged, DATTCO officials believe there is a network targeting valuable parts, Baio said.
So far, DATTCO has been able to move buses to where they’re needed because they have 27 locations, he said. If these instances persist, the nationwide supply chain will be compromised, since vandalism is occurring throughout the nation, Mayer said.
“It’s a challenge with getting students to school for kids already anxious and (working) partly remote,” Baio said.