There have been a number of recent reports of stolen catalytic converters in Butler County.
In fact, a crime ring from Michigan was recently charged with stealing a number of catalytic converters in Butler County.
State Trooper Josh Black of Butler barracks says these types of crimes come in a cyclical fashion.
“What makes them value is the platinum in them,” Black said. “And whenever the price of that goes up, they become more valuable.”
And the price of platinum has risen significantly over the last four months, which in turn has led to more thefts of catalytic converters.
Black says while it’s not a crime that’s entirely avoidable, there are steps you can take to help prevent you from becoming a victim.
“Like the common sense things. Keep it well-lit, lock it up, and keep your eye out if you see any suspicious vehicles in the neighborhood or anything like that,” Black said. “Getting a license plate or vehicle description always helps us out when we get a rash of these types of thefts.”
Black also said that these thefts are typically targeted to places like auto body shops and junk yards.
