KENT, Wash. — On Friday, the Kent Police Department announced that its detective unit arrested multiple people in an investigation into a wave of catalytic converter thefts.
Officials also said nearly 800 catalytic converters were recovered and about $40,000 in cash was seized.
The suspects who were taken into custody were traveling to the King County area from out of state and were purchasing stolen catalytic converters from thieves off the street, authorities said.
Catalytic converter thefts have been spiking in western Washington.
It has been something that has been impacting every community, with thieves hitting churches, senior centers, apartment buildings and even Seattle Humane.
Kent officials said they have seen a dramatic increase of thefts, saying the number of cases rose from five in 2019 to 167 in the first five months of 2021.
People who have had their catalytic converters stolen have been dealing with repairs costs ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, according to officials.
According to a release on the Kent Police Department’s Facebook page, more than 4,000 incidents have been reported regionally since January 2020.
In Seattle, catalytic converter thefts alone have spiked more than 1000% between 2019 and 2021, with the daily average of thefts surging to six cases daily.
Kent police posted the following tips to help protect your catalytic converter:
• Know if you’re a target — Toyota Priuses, trucks and SUVs, which are easier for thieves to slide under, are popular targets.
• Secure your vehicle in a locked garage. Set motion-sensitive lights and park in your driveway, or in a brightly-lit area in front of your home if you don’t have a garage.
• Install a catalytic converter anti-theft device. Your mechanic or an internet search can show you what devices are available, and the costs and installation requirements.
• Paint your catalytic converter with a high-temperature fluorescent paint and etch your vehicle’s identification number on the painted surface. This makes it traceable and more easily identifiable.
See below for a count of some of the reported thefts in the region from 2020 to now:
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