Police see an uptick in catalytic converter thefts

Two Lehigh Valley cities are warning residents to be vigilant with their vehicles after an uptick of catalytic converter thefts.

On Friday, Bethlehem police posted on social media that the department has seen an uptick in thefts and attempted thefts of catalytic converters.

Easton Police Lt. Matthew Gerould said his department has also seen an increase, with about 10 reported thefts so far this year, more than this time last year.

In Easton, thieves are targeting vehicles parked on city streets during the early morning hours, between 3 and 5 a.m. No specific area appears to have been targeted more than others.

“We’re seeing it all over,” Gerould said.

In recent years, thieves have been targeting catalytic converters because of the metal inside them and their high scrap value. Police in the Lehigh Valley reported an increase in these thefts just two years ago.

In the past few months, Emmaus police, state police and Allentown police have seen the thefts as well.

Trooper Nathan Branosky, a state police spokesman, said Friday that state police have seen a decrease in the number of catalytic converter thefts in their coverage areas in Lehigh and Northampton counties over the past six to eight months.

The last theft state troopers investigated happened Feb. 2 on Deerview Lane in Washington Township, Lehigh County.

In Allentown, catalytic converter thefts remain the status quo, according to Capt. Christopher Diehl. He said there has not been a decrease or increase in thefts, but they remain a constant problem in the city.

Branosky said the metals in the converters can be resold for hundreds of dollars and can cost victims thousands to replace.

Thieves are able to cut the converter out from the vehicle quickly, he said, which can lead to people not being aware their car was damaged until they drive again.

If someone doesn’t regularly use their car, it could be days before they notice the theft, Gerould said. The Easton lieutenant encouraged residents to report any suspicious activity near vehicles, and to check security footage regularly, if they have home security cameras.

He said his department is working with others locally in investigating the thefts.

Nationwide, thefts of catalytic converters have been a problem and continue to increase. The National Insurance Crime Bureau said last year that there were 64,000 catalytic converter thefts nationwide in 2022. Pennsylvania was ranked third, with 2,757 reported that year, according to a news release from the bureau.

That was a jump from 16,600 thefts nationwide just two years earlier, the NICB said.

Last summer, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said investigators dismantled a multi-million-dollar catalytic converter theft ring that stole thousands of converters in the county between 2020 and 2023.