Crackdown on catalytic converter thefts in Charlotte nets five arrests, police say
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have identified 10 suspects and served 145 warrants in connection with a catalytic converter theft ring.
Catalytic converters — a round piece that connects two pipes — are part of a vehicle’s exhaust system that help turn pollutants into less harmful emissions. The devices contain precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Police started seeing a “large increase” in catalytic converter thefts about a year and a half ago, Maj. Cecil Brisbon said in a video posted on CMPD’s YouTube channel.
“Folks were going out to their cars in the morning, starting their car and hearing these horrendous noises and realizing that somebody had cut something off their vehicle,” he said.
An investigation earlier this month, called Operation Sawzall, led five arrests on July 8. A sixth suspect was already in prison, and four others are wanted on outstanding warrants in relation to the thefts, police said on Twitter.
Sawzall refers to the reciprocating saw thieves use to cut through protective covers.
CMPD also retrieved eight stolen converters and four vehicles believed to have been used in the thefts, Brisbon said. Some drugs and “a couple stolen firearms” also were found, Brisbon said.
In Charlotte-Mecklenburg 2,059 catalytic converters were stolen in 2021, and so far this year there have been 1,016.
“CMPD does believe more individuals are involved with the theft ring outside of the 10 identified in Operation Sawzall,” police spokesman Mike Allinger told The Charlotte Observer in an email.
On Dec. 1, a new state law took effect that makes the theft of a catalytic converter a class I felony with a mandatory $1,000 fine, the Observer previously reported.
Brisbon said some vehicle owners can take measures to prevent the theft of their catalytic converters, include a shield for the converter.
Other suggestions from CMPD:
▪ Park in well lit and populated areas
▪ Pay attention to your surroundings and pay attention to any weird noises at night outside your home
▪ Buy some catalytic converter covers to bolt over your converter
Staff writer Joe Marusak contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
