Bus company reports catalytic converter thefts

DATTCO bus company officials have put up a $1,000 reward for any 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.

DATTCO has experienced thefts at several of its locations in Connecticut, company President Don DeVivo said, including in Cheshire and the body shop 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,” DATTCO Assistant Vice President of Safety and Risk Management Frank Baio said. “It’s not just ours — it affects the entire community.”

In total, the company has lost about $70,000 to vandals, he said.

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.

Both 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.”

Other locations being targeted include New Britain, 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.

The town of Greenwich is also experiencing a rash of thefts.

The situation is even more discouraging officials said, when they search social media marketplaces to find their converters — or the parts within — being sold online. These individuals are also selling the metals to scrap yards, Baio said.

“It’s a crime of opportunity,” DeVivo said.

Costly repairs

In some instances, criminals carrying out these acts parked nearby and cut through the fences to gain access, he said.

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.

Some are very audacious, Baio said. “They came in while police were investigating and a few nights later.” He has never seen an operation of such magnitude. “There’s been nothing so consistent and targeted.”

There is surveillance at the DATTCO properties, and fencing, but, because these occur in the middle of the night, DeVivo said, images of intruders in dark clothing and masks are too dark to discern.

“It’s a money-making proposition on the street crime level,” Baio said.

These thefts, which bus officials say are part of a “big, local operation,” are frustrating for the company, as well as police,DeVivo said.

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, and only adds to their frustration.