Police in Bloomfield are investigating several incidents of catalytic converters stolen from vehicles in the Township.
Authorities released the following incidents in a statement:
3/15/2022-Officers responded to the area of North Spring Street on a report of a theft from an auto. A resident parked his work vehicle on North Spring Street at 4:00 p.m. on 3/14/2022. When he returned to the car the following morning at 6:30 a.m., he observed that the car was missing the catalytic converter.
3/16/2022-Officers responded to the 200 block of Lakewood Drive on a report of a theft from an auto. A resident parked his vehicle overnight on 3/15/2022. When he returned to his car the following morning, he noticed that someone had stolen the catalytic converter from his vehicle.
03/16/2022-Officers responded to the 100 block of Baldwin Place on a report of a theft from an auto. A resident parked his vehicle on the street overnight on 3/15/2022. Upon returning to the car the following day, he noticed that the catalytic converter was missing from his car.
Typically, recyclers will pay $50 to $250 per catalytic converter.
03/16/2022-Officers responded to the area of Baldwin Place on a report of a theft from an auto. A resident parked his vehicle on the street overnight on 3/16/2022. Upon returning to the car the following day, he noticed that the catalytic converter had been taken from his vehicle.
Police said money is the main reason catalytic converters are often stolen.
“They contain three metals that aid in the chemical reaction that makes exhaust pollutants less harmful: platinum, palladium and rhodium.
The prices of these metals have risen dramatically during the early 21st century,” according to police.
PURPOSE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER:
“A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction.
Catalytic converters are usually used with internal combustion engines fueled by gasoline or diesel, including lean-burn engines, and sometimes on kerosene heaters and stoves”. -Wikipedia
REPLACEMENT COST:
Depending on the choice of catalytic converter quality and the type of vehicle you own, the average cost to replace a catalytic converter is in the range of $1000-2500.
About 29 municipalities statewide have reported upticks in catalytic converter thefts, including 11 in and around Essex County.
All of the incidents remain under investigation.
No arrests have been reported in the Bloomfield theft at this time.