MU police investigating catalytic converter thefts
Police at Mizzou are looking into the thefts of seven catalytic converters from vehicles parked in university lots.
“It appears in the past that we’ll have a rash of these that come through and then they’re gone again,” said Major Brian Weimer with the university police department.
The thefts apparently happened between the evening of Thursday, March 3, and noon on Friday, March 4.
Car technician Brian Fobes at Walt’s Service, Inc. in Columbia says they got a call on Monday about a stolen catalytic converter that they assume was due to last week’s thefts.
But he says it is not something they hear about every day.
Catalytic converters are made with precious metals such as platinum and can be sold for upwards of $100 each.
While many legitimate people buy and sell the converters to scrap metal yards, others steal them off cars to make a profit.
Police say the thief or thieves would have had to use some kind of cutting tool and get underneath the vehicles to remove the converters.
“If you had battery powered equipment and weren’t really worried about the damage you did to the vehicle, you could extract one between 15 minutes or a half hour,” said Fobes.
MUPD says anyone loitering in or wandering around parking lots, or going in between and looking into or at multiple vehicles, could be considered suspicious.
If you see anyone in a parking lot with a cutting tool or trying to get under a vehicle, call MU police and report the sighting.
“People might walk by and think ‘oh, they’re working on their car’, but with this, especially with all this going on, we’re asking that people call the police department so we can check on that,” said Weimer.
MUPD also asks faculty, staff, and students to check their vehicles for any theft or tampering. You can report thefts or suspicious incidents to the department by calling (573) 882-7201.
If you are a victim and your catalytic converter is stolen, it could cost you upwards of $1,000 to replace. But many insurance companies cover it. You can ask your company or local mechanic.
