Police: Catalytic converters stolen from 28 Trumbull school buses

TRUMBULL — A local school had to borrow vehicles Thursday after police say thieves stole the catalytic converters from an entire fleet of school buses. The school’s executive director said the buses should be fixed and back on the road by Monday.

Lt. Brian Weir said the catalytic converters were taken overnight Wednesday into Thursday from 25 Oakview Drive. The buses were used by Cooperative Educational Services, 40 Lindeman Drive, which provides educational supports and services to school districts and communities in Fairfield County.

Though police initially reported that the thefts forced the school to close Thursday, CES executive director Charles Dumais said the school was able to borrow enough vehicles to host a normal school day.

“We were fully open,” Dumais said. “School must go on.”

A catalytic converter is part of a vehicle’s exhaust system that runs along the bottom of the vehicle. Thieves will steal this vehicle part — which serves as an anti-pollution device — in just minutes and sell it to scrap metal dealers for several hundred dollars. Weir said those looking to steal these parts off vehicles typically target trucks and sport utility vehicles because they are higher off the ground.

Investigators found that the parts were stolen off 28 vehicles. Weir said each of the vehicles had two catalytic converters cut off them, with a total loss of over $75,000.

Weir said this recent theft follows a “drastic increase” in the theft of catalytic converters in Connecticut and nationwide. He said many individuals will target business parking lots during the overnight hours, where fleet vehicles, trucks, vans and buses are parked. Catalytic converters have also been taken off privately owned vehicles in residential areas as well.

A driver who starts their vehicle and suddenly hears a loud exhaust noise can assume their catalytic converter might have been stolen, Weir said. Since the catalytic converter is a round cylinder that connects two pieces of piping in the exhaust, he said, there would be a gap in the middle of the exhaust system.

Dumais said CES is already in the process of having the buses fixed, with the help of both its company mechanic and some local dealerships that provided assistance. He hoped to have the fleet mostly restored by Monday.

If not all the buses are up and running, he said, there is a possibility that some drivers will have to make “double runs,” picking up the students that live farthest away first, then circling back to pick up the more local students.

CES staff will also review its security measures in the wake of the thefts, Dumais said.

“Obviously, there’s a gap (in security) because someone spent an hour and 20 minutes dismantling our vehicles,” he said.

To prevent falling victim to catalytic converter theft, Weir urged residents to always park in well-lit areas, close to a building entrance or to the nearest access road. Drivers with security systems on their vehicles should calibrate it so any vibration will set off the alarm. Weir also told residents to be aware of their surroundings.

Authorities encourage residents to file a police report if they have a catalytic converter theft occur or notice any unusual or suspicious activity.