Thieves have stolen more than 100 catalytic converters from vehicles in the Denver area since January, prompting officials to warn of the thefts and issue a plea for the public’s help.
According to the Colorado Information Analysis Center, two-person teams using an electric saw can remove a catalytic converter from a vehicle in less than a minute.
Law enforcement agencies say that the thieves usually sell the catalytic converters to metal recycling facilities, salvage yards or other individuals.
The primary targets of the thefts are Toyota Tacomas and Toyota 4-Runners, which are higher off the ground and whose converters are more accessible.
Investigators say the vehicles that have been targeted have been in public parking lots, such as grocery stores; RTD park-n-Ride stations and employee lots.
The center says the converters can be protected by placing cages around the converters and marking them, which makes them traceable.
The Colorado Information Analysis Center is part of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Anyone with information about the thefts, or who has been a target of such thefts, is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency first. They are then asked to call the Colorado Analysis Center at 1-877-509-2422 or by email at ciac@ciac.co.gov.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
